Government doctors across Himachal Pradesh have announced an indefinite strike from December 27 after an alleged assault on a patient at Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital (IGMC), Shimla. The decision was taken by the Resident Doctors Association (RDA), citing serious concerns over the safety of doctors and what they describe as unfair action against a senior resident doctor.
The strike will begin at 9.30 am on December 27 and will involve resident doctors at IGMC Shimla, doctors from all government medical colleges in the state, and members of the Himachal Medical Officers Association (HMOA). During the strike, routine hospital services, outpatient departments (OPDs), and selected operation theatres will remain closed. Emergency services, however, will continue to function.
The protest follows an incident on December 22 involving senior resident doctor Dr Raghav Narula and a patient, Arjun Pawar, 36, from Chopal. After the incident, the state government terminated Dr Narula’s services and registered an FIR against him under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). The RDA has strongly opposed this decision, calling it hasty and disproportionate.
Earlier on Friday, representatives of the RDA met Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, who assured them that the matter would be re-investigated. Despite this assurance, the doctors announced that the strike would go ahead until their demands are met.
RDA president Dr Sohil Sharma said the association is not satisfied with the findings of the inquiry committee. He said the committee’s report has damaged Dr Narula’s career and ignored important facts. According to him, the doctors will continue the indefinite strike until the termination order is withdrawn and justice is delivered.
The RDA said the meeting with the chief minister also discussed what it called serious security lapses at IGMC. The association alleged that these lapses allowed mob intimidation and media trials to take place inside the hospital premises during the incident.
The doctors have demanded the immediate revocation of Dr Narula’s termination order. They have also called for FIRs to be registered and legal action to be taken against those allegedly involved in mob intimidation and vandalism of government property inside the hospital. The RDA cited provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita while pressing for these actions.
The association further alleged that Dr Narula received direct threats to his life following the incident. It has demanded immediate police protection for the doctor and strict action against those issuing threats. The RDA has also sought a comprehensive review to fix responsibility for the failure to implement earlier recommendations related to CCTV installation and hospital security. According to the doctors, these security gaps played a major role in the incident.
The RDA has maintained that the situation escalated due to a lack of proper security and crowd control within the hospital. It also pointed out that an internal inquiry committee reportedly found both the patient and the doctor responsible for the incident. Based on this, the association argues that terminating Dr Narula’s services was excessive and unfair.
On Friday, even before the indefinite strike begins, health services were badly affected due to a day-long mass casual leave taken by doctors. OPD services were disrupted at IGMC Shimla and several other hospitals, including Dr Rajendra Prasad Government Medical College in Tanda and Zonal Hospital Dharamshala.
The ongoing crisis has drawn strong reactions from political leaders and organisations. Former Himachal Pradesh chief minister Jai Ram Thakur criticised the state government for its handling of the issue. In a social media post, he said the situation was alarming as ambulance workers are already on strike and now doctors are also stopping work, at a time when many medical college doctors are on winter vacation.
He questioned how patients would reach hospitals during emergencies if ambulance services are not operating. He also asked how people would receive treatment under such circumstances. Jai Ram Thakur accused the government of taking decisions in haste without proper consideration. While he said suspending the doctor may have been necessary to set an example, he added that the government’s rushed actions have worsened the situation and harmed the state’s image.
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) also expressed concern over the incident. CPI(M) state secretary Sanjay Chauhan said the opposition BJP was trying to take political advantage of the situation. He alleged that a BJP MLA had threatened serious consequences if the doctor was not removed from service.
Chauhan criticised both the opposition and the government. He said the BJP was behaving irresponsibly and attempting to disturb law and order. At the same time, he accused the state government of reacting in panic instead of handling the matter calmly and judicially. According to him, the government should rely on complete facts rather than partial truths while taking decisions.
The health crisis has been further intensified by a separate strike by ambulance workers in Himachal Pradesh. The 102 and 108 ambulance services came to a halt on Friday after workers began a 48-hour strike. They are demanding implementation of labour laws, minimum wages, proper overtime payments, and an end to what they call harassment by management.
In Shimla, ambulance workers protested outside the National Health Mission (NHM) office, raising slogans against the company managing the services. CITU state president Vijendra Mehra said the workers have long been demanding fair wages, eight-hour duty shifts, overtime pay, gratuity, and benefits such as EPF and ESI. He warned that if their demands are ignored, the workers may go on an indefinite strike in the future.
With both doctors and ambulance workers protesting, patients across Himachal Pradesh are facing serious difficulties in accessing healthcare. The coming days are expected to be crucial as talks continue between doctors, workers and the state government to find a resolution.
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