Doctor punches patient in Shimla hospital; suspended as video sparks stir

Shimla: A junior resident doctor allegedly assaulted a patient, throwing multiple punches, following an argument at a prominent hospital here on Monday, sparking a protest with the victim's relatives demanding that he be handed over to them after a video of the shocking incident appeared on social media.

As outrage mounted, Dr Rahul Rao, Medical Superintendent of Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC), said a committee has been constituted to probe the incident following the directions of Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu.

The doctor, Raghav Narula, who is a contractual employee, has been suspended, pending the inquiry, while the family of the victim has also filed a police complaint, officials said.

The video, which was shot by a person who was present in the ward, showed the doctor punching the patient, Arjun Singh, who was lying on the bed, in the face. The patient is seen resisting by kicking, while two other persons try to restrain both of them. Singh, a resident of Kupvi in Shimla, suffered a nose injury in the incident.

Tensions flared up as hundreds of people, including the relatives and friends of the victim, along with other patients held a protest in the hospital premises, demanding the arrest of the doctor.

The protesters barged into the hospital and tried to go to the room where the doctor was kept, demanding that the hospital authorities hand him over. However, the situation was controlled by police personnel who were present there.

Later, speaking to media persons, Singh said that he suffers from pulmonary issues and had visited the hospital for a bronchoscopy. He said that following the test, he started to feel shortness of breath and was advised by the hospital staff to take rest.

He said that after this, he went to the pulmonary medicine ward and lay down on a vacant bed to take rest. However, after a few minutes, two doctors approached him and started to misbehave with him, after which he urged them to be respectful, Singh claimed.

He claimed that this agitated the doctor, who went on to assault him.

"I was feeling breathless and was lying on an empty bed requesting a nurse for oxygen, when the doctor came and started asking for reports and misbehaved and lost his cool in 30 seconds. I am not satisfied with the suspension; the doctor should be terminated," Singh said.

Meanwhile, the doctor, Raghav Narula, from Paonta Sahib, Sirmour, denied the allegations and claimed that the patient misbehaved with him leading to the incident.

Health Minister Dr. (Col) Dhani Ram Shandil said that as soon as he came to know about the incident, he directed the Secretary (Health), Principal and MS of IGMC to look into the matter and sought details from them.

He said that the doctor is a contractual employee and his services "have been withdrawn with immediate effect". He said that further action will be initiated against him, and a disciplinary committee has been constituted.

"The doctor's behaviour is not fit for medical services and could be terminated in the future, based on the findings of the inquiry," he said.

He said that directions will also be issued by the government to ensure that such incidents do not recur.

Hospital authorities have constituted a committee headed by the head of the Chest and TB department with Deputy Medical Superintendent and Nursing Superintendent as its members to inqure into the incident, the officials said.

After the preliminary report was submitted, higher authorities have ordered the immediate suspension of the said doctor till further orders, said Rao, Medical Superintendent of IGMC.

The family of the victim filed a complaint to the police, said Rao. Medical tests of the doctor and an attendant of the patient have been conducted.