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The protest follows the December 22 incident at IGMC, where Dr Raghav Nirula was involved in a violent altercation with a patient. The patient, identified as Arjun, was allegedly attacked after he complained about how he was addressed and asked to be spoken to respectfully by the doctor.
according to patient, doctor
“Became aggressive, threatening and repeatedly punched her in the face and body, causing bleeding from the nose and mouth and injuries on various parts of her body.”
Shimla Police filed a First Information Report (FIR) at Shimla Sadar Police Station in response to the incident citing sections 125(A), 115(2), and 3(5) of the Indian Code of Justice (BNS) 2023. The state government terminated the services of Dr Nirula on Wednesday after receiving reports from the IGMC administration and the college inquiry committee.
In an order, the Himachal Pradesh Directorate of Medical Education and Research said, “The undersigned terminates the services of Dr. Raghav Nirula from the post of Senior Resident, Department of Pulmonary Medicine, IGMC Shimla…”
Furthermore, the investigating committee clearly stated that both the doctor and the patient were to blame for the quarrel.
Announcing the decision of the association, RDA President Dr. Sohil Sharma said that he will first talk to the government. He said, “We are meeting the Chief Minister on the morning of December 26. The association has announced that the resident doctors will be on one-day mass casual leave on December 26. If our demands are not addressed within the stipulated time, we will be forced to go on strike from December 27 at 9:30 am.”
He said that although emergency services will continue, all routine services, out-patient departments (OPD), and elective surgery theaters will remain closed during the protest.
“We demand immediate cancellation of the dismissal order issued against Dr Raghav. An FIR should be registered against Naresh Dasta, who also threatened the doctor. The mob allegedly damaged government property and legal action should be immediately initiated against the culprits as per applicable laws,” Dr Sharma was quoted as saying by ANI.
In a statement, the RDA also demanded accountability for security lapses at the hospital. “A comprehensive review and accountability assessment is sought with respect to the failure to implement security measures at IGMC Shimla despite prior analysis of the deficiencies and deficiencies in CCTV coverage noted earlier,” it reads.
Federation of Resident Doctors Association (FORDA), a national body representing resident doctors, also came forward in support of Dr Nirula. In a memorandum to the Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh, FORDA highlighted the importance of maintaining professional integrity and patient dignity, but stressed that malpractice complaints should be investigated in a fair and transparent manner.
Showing solidarity with Dr Nirula and the RDA, Himachal Medical Officers Association (HMOA) also declared one-day mass casual leave on Friday. It further added that if the requests are not addressed by December 27, patients will only have access to emergency treatment.