Shimla Hospital Brawl: Medical Body Announces Mass Leave After Govt Sacks IGMC Doctor

Shimla: A day after the Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DMER), Himachal Pradesh, terminated the services of a senior resident doctor, who was allegedly involved in a physical altercation with a patient at the Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC) here, the Himachal Medical Officers' Association announced to go on mass leave on Friday (December 26, 2025), triggering concerns over possible disruption of patient care services at the hospital.

The association has sought withdrawal of "unfair and unconstitutional orders" issued against the doctor and demanded legal action against those responsible along with enhancement of the security at the hospital.

A meeting of the Himachal Medical Officers' Association (HMOA) was held on Thursday, in presence of district representatives and members of the state executive, during which the medical body said it stands firmly with the Resident Doctors' Association (RDA) of IGMC Shimla.

In a press release, the HMOA said that after taking note of and understanding the "inhuman incidents" that took place in IGMC, it was unanimously decided that from December 26 onwards, it will support the protest at the state, district and block level through a planned strike and collective cease-work.

HMOA General Secretary Dr Vikas Thakur stated that the association demands immediate withdrawal of "unfair and unconstitutional orders" issued against the doctor.

The medical officer's body has also sought judicial inquiry into the incident. "It has come to light that on the third floor, there was a serious situation where a patient allegedly tried to harm doctors and attempted life-threatening actions. A fair investigation is necessary. FIR should be registered under relevant sections and strict legal action should be taken," the release mentioned.

Alleging chaos and disturbance caused by a crowd inside the IGMC campus, the association said because of administrative negligence and lack of proper police security, serious lapses occurred. "FIR should be registered under relevant IPC sections 351, 351J, 352, 61, 62, 190, 191 against those responsible," it said, adding that the government and administration must ensure complete safety within hospital premises.

This apart, the association demanded that "one-sided and unfair policies and orders issued against doctors must be immediately withdrawn".

"Doctors cannot work under fear and unsafe conditions. Such policies demotivate doctors and weaken the health system," it said.

Raising serious concerns over security systems, the association said, "CCTV cameras installed in IGMC are not functioning properly, and there are serious security lapses. These should be immediately repaired and made operational. The administration must ensure safety of doctors and hospital staff at all times," the release stated.

Meanwhile, RDA said it has decided to observe one-day collective casual leave (CL) on Friday (December 26). Emergency services will continue to function but routine patient services will be affected, the medical body stated.

Further, the association warned of intensified protest if action is not taken at the earliest. "If proper action is not taken and demands are not fulfilled, then from December 27, 9:30 AM onwards, a stronger and wider protest movement will be launched, and the government and administration will be fully responsible for its consequences," it warned.

Earlier on Wednesday, the state government sacked the senior resident doctor, after "misconduct", "misbehaviour" and "acts unbecoming of a public servant" were found on his part. A report submitted by a committee formed to investigate the incident that took place on Monday found both parties at fault – Arjun Singh, the patient who teaches in a private academy in Shimla, and Raghav Narula, the concerned senior resident doctor.

"Both the patient and the senior resident doctor were responsible for the incident, which amounted to misconduct, misbehaviour, acts unbecoming of a public servant, and violation of the Resident Doctor Policy-2025," an order issued on Wednesday evening by the director of medical education and research said.

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2. Doctor-Patient Clash At Himachal Pradesh's IGMC Sparks Probe, Accused Doc Suspended