Patiala hospital staff dismissed after viral assault video
Patiala: Punjab Health Minister, Dr Balbir Singh, has ordered the dismissal of a contractual employee at Government Mata Kaushalya Hospital in Patiala after a video went viral on social media, allegedly showing him behaving violently towards a patient.
The contractual employee, who had been working at the hospital since 2021, had no prior complaints regarding his behaviour, reportedly struck a glass partition at the OPD registration counter following a dispute. The glass shattered due to the impact, and a female patient waiting in line was reportedly injured by the shards.
The entire incident was recorded, and the video was later circulated on Wednesday across social media platforms such as X (formerly Twitter) and WhatsApp. The emergence of this video sparked widespread outrage among the public, triggering a major debate regarding the conduct of staff at government health centres and the safety of patients.
Following this incident, Dr Balbir Singh made a surprise visit to the hospital. Before taking administrative action, he reviewed the evidence and visited the scene before taking administrative action.
According to the TOI media news report, the Health Minister stated that the employee has been suspended with immediate effect. He also directed that he be served a one-month notice, following which his services will be permanently terminated.
"The behaviour captured in that video is unacceptable. We cannot allow those who are supposed to help the sick to become a source of injury," the health minister stated.
Meanwhile, a departmental inquiry has also been initiated to determine whether other employees or systemic flaws played any role in the escalation of this matter.
