Lady Hardinge Medical College resident doctors call off strike after safety assurances

New Delhi: Resident doctors at Lady Hardinge Medical College (LHMC) have called off their indefinite strike and resumed all elective services after receiving assurances from the hospital administration regarding their demands, following the brutal assault on a surgery department resident doctor by a mob of the patient’s relatives.

In a press release, the Resident Doctors’ Association (RDA) of LHMC stated that emergency services had continued without interruption during the strike. With the resumption of work, normal hospital operations will be fully restored, with patient care once again taking priority.

"We express our gratitude to the hospital administration for their prompt response and commitment to enhancing the safety and welfare of healthcare professionals on campus," the association said.

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Medical Dialogues reported yesterday that a surgery resident doctor at LHMC, New Delhi, was allegedly assaulted by a mob of the patient’s relatives. A video of the attack went viral on social media, sparking outrage across the medical community.

In the purported video, a group of miscreants can be seen cornering the doctor while the patient lies on a stretcher, with a woman beside him crying and speaking on the phone. At a distance, the mob is seen roaming in anger after manhandling the doctor, as security guards stood nearby, urging them to leave the area.

The incident took place late at night on August 12, when a patient with severe road accident injuries was brought to LHMC’s casualty department. While being taken for an X-ray, the patient collapsed. Soon after, the patient’s attendant called in a mob, which entered the hospital and allegedly manhandled the surgery resident doctor.

Following the attack, the LHMC RDA launched an indefinite strike demanding the immediate arrest of the culprits. Their demands also included the registration of an institutional FIR against all those involved, deployment of more bouncers and security personnel in sensitive areas such as the casualty and emergency departments of LHMC and Kalawati Saran Children’s Hospital, controlled access to entry points, and restrictions on the number of attendants allowed per patient in emergencies to maintain order and safety.

With the hospital administration now fulfilling these demands, the resident doctors have ended their strike and returned to duty, thanking the administration for prompt action and their colleagues for their solidarity.

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