After IGMC incident, Himachal Govt announces behaviour-based rewards for doctors

Shimla: Following the doctor-patient brawl incident at Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital (IGMC) in Shimla, which recently ended and was resolved after both parties apologised to each other, the Himachal Pradesh government has announced a set of measures aimed at easing the tension between doctors and patients while keeping in mind the safety concerns raised by resident doctors.

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said that doctors who maintain good behaviour with patients will be formally rewarded. At the same time, he made it clear that misbehaviour by either doctors or patients will not be tolerated.

Medical Dialogues recently reported that the recent controversy involving a dispute between a patient and a doctor at Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital (IGMC), Shimla, has been resolved. Both the doctor and the patient have apologised, their grievances were addressed, and the matter was concluded on a positive note.

Also read- IGMC Shimla dispute resolved after doctor and patient apologise

The two buried the hatchet in the presence of Naresh Chauhan, Principal Media Advisor of Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu. Chauhan said the government wanted to ensure that no one faced any trouble. Keeping in mind the public's concerns, the CM earlier met with the doctors and assured them of an investigation.

Following the agreement reached between both parties in this matter, the FIR against the senior resident doctor will also be withdrawn, he said. The families of both the doctor and Singh expressed happiness over the development.

The altercation between the doctor and Singh took place on December 22. The dispute arose after the patient objected to being addressed as "tu" instead of "tum" by the doctor, and this angered the doctor. However, the doctor maintained that it was Singh who instigated the fight by using abusive language against him and his family.

A video of the incident showed the doctor punching the patient, and Singh trying to kick the doctor. An inquiry committee set up by the state government found both parties at fault.

The doctor was terminated from service after the committee found him guilty of "misconduct, misbehaviour and acts of unbecoming a public servant".

Resident doctors of Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC) went on a strike, demanding revocation of the doctor's termination order. They called off the strike after two days on Sunday, following Chief Minister Sukhu's appeal and assurance that the incident would be re-investigated.

To keep his promise, the Chief Minister also ordered the formation of a new committee to re-examine the IGMC incident. He said the government’s intention was not to damage any doctor’s career, but to ensure a fair and balanced inquiry.

The Chief Minister said the government is considering adding behavioural assessment marks to doctors’ Annual Confidential Reports (ACR). These marks would be determined based on how doctors interact with patients and their attendants. He said good behaviour would be recognised and rewarded, but any complaints by patients and their attendants should be immediately reported to seniors.

Speaking at a Health Department meeting in Shimla, Sukhu said that the government was committed to ensuring security for doctors and healthcare staff, but stressed that professional and ethical conduct towards patients remained non-negotiable.

Although the Resident Doctors Association (RDA) has officially withdrawn its strike, services at IGMC remain partially affected. Several resident doctors have not yet resumed work, citing unresolved safety issues and internal disagreements within the association.

The newzradar reported that the CM also directed the Health Department to introduce mandatory courses on human behaviour and man-management for doctors.

Acknowledging workload pressures as a key source of friction in government hospitals, the CM said the state was actively filling vacant posts of doctors and paramedical staff.

"Hundreds of posts have already been filled, and more appointments will be made in the coming time. The government is also considering offering incentives to highly qualified doctors to attract more specialists into the public health sector," said the CM.

Also read- Himachal resident doctors call off strike after CM promises termination review