The Resident Doctors Associations in the government medical colleges in Himachal Pradesh on Saturday went on an indefinite strike, demanding the revocation of the termination orders of the Senior Resident doctor of Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC) in the wake of the December 22 incident in the Pulmonary Medicine ward involving a brawl with a patient.
The Department of Medical Education and Research has, however, issued Standard Operating Procedures to be notified by all the Medical Superintendents so that emergency services and ward services in the medical colleges for indoor patients are not affected. The medical college doctors on annual vacation have also been called back on duty to ensure hospital functioning.
The decision on the indefinite strike by the RDAs of medical colleges was taken after the Chief Minister told the RDA and the Senior Doctors Association of IGMC on Friday said that the government would conduct a thorough investigation into the matter based on the evidence submitted by the RDA, without any assurance on the revocation of the termination orders.
Talking to mediapersons here, the President of the RDA, IGMC, Dr Sohil Sharma said the doctors have decided to go on strike to demand the revocation of the termination orders of the Senior Resident of IGMC. He said the doctors find it a totally unsafe environment, where a Senior Resident—who came to this position after so much of hard work, first clearing NEET UG, then NEET PG, serving the state bond in the field and then joining Senior Residency based on merit—was suspended within six hours and terminated from service within 48 hours.
“What kind of message does the government want to give? It is totally unsafe for all of us. We want the government to revoke the termination as the government has taken this action based on one-sided evidence and that too just within 48 hours, without bothering about the career of the doctor. We don’t find it justified in any manner, as everything was done just on one incomplete video,” he said. He said if the termination can be done in 48 hours, it can be revoked within the same time.
The state government, which took this extreme action against the doctor, is in a fix now as no action has been taken against the patient and his attendants, despite the fact that the inquiry committee had also mentioned in its report that both the patient and the doctors were at fault. Moreover, the IGMC administration did not take any action against the mob of attendants and supporters of the patient who entered the Pulmonary Medicine ward, disturbing the peace of admitted patients, threatening the Senior Resident and obstructing work in the ICU and high-dependency wards of the Pulmonary Medicine department at IGMC.
Although BJP MLA from Chopal, Balbir Verma, came forward to support the patient from his constituency against the doctor openly, urging the Health Minister and the Chief Minister to take strict action against the doctor based on a viral video on social media, the Leader of Opposition, Jai Ram Thakur, has taken a diverse stand, referring to the government’s action against the doctor as hasty, harsh and one-sided.
“We can understand suspension and a warning in this case, but termination is too harsh a step by the government, and that too despite the fact that the inquiry has held both parties—the patient and the doctor—at fault. The government should consider all aspects, as doctors also reach this level by repeatedly clearing tough All India examinations,” he said. Thakur said the government should take a balanced view in this case and improve the hospital system by taking concrete steps in the larger interest of healthcare.
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