Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], December 28 : As the indefinite strike by government doctors in Himachal Pradesh continued for the second consecutive day on Sunday, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu appealed to the protesting doctors to call off the agitation, assuring them that the issue would be discussed with senior officials of Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC), Shimla.
Speaking to reporters in Shimla on Saturday after returning from the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting in Delhi, the Chief Minister urged doctors to resume duties, stating that the government was committed to protecting both doctors and patients.
"After meeting me, I told them that the matter would be re-inquired into and that there was no need to go on an indefinite strike. When I assured them that the matter would be re-inquired into, they should have trusted me," CM Sukhu said.
Health services, barring emergency care, were severely affected across several hospitals in the state after government doctors went on an indefinite strike from Saturday. The protest was triggered by the termination of a resident doctor at IGMC following a physical altercation with a patient.
Urging doctors to put patient care first, the Chief Minister said ego should not come in the way of public service.
"The doctors need to leave behind their ego. I request them to join duties from Monday. I will discuss the matter with senior officers of IGMC and deliberate on it. For us, doctors are part of our family, as are the patients. Their protection is our duty," he added.
Referring to the incident that led to the termination, Sukhu termed the doctor's conduct unacceptable.
"The doctor could have withdrawn from treating the patient and taken the issue to his seniors. Instead, he thrashed the patient. Such aggression is unacceptable. Patients see doctors like a god, and this kind of behaviour is not appropriate," the Chief Minister said.
He further highlighted the steps the state government has taken to reduce stress among resident doctors.
"We have reduced the duty hours of resident doctors from 48 hours to 12 hours and increased their stipend from ₹65,000 to ₹1 lakh. Despite this, if a doctor indulges in such activities, it is a matter of concern," Sukhu said.
The protest follows the termination of Dr Raghav Narula, a senior resident in the Department of Pulmonary Medicine at IGMC, after a video showing him in a physical altercation with a patient went viral. The incident occurred on December 22 and involved 36-year-old Arjun Pawar, a resident of Chopal.
The state government has maintained that action was taken to uphold patient safety and discipline within the healthcare system, while talks are expected to continue to resolve the standoff.