Chief Minister Sukwinder Singh Sukhu on Monday ordered the formation of a new committee to re-investigate the IGMC patient assault case, while announcing sweeping reforms including mandatory human behavior training for doctors and linking patient interaction to their Annual Confidential Reports (ACR).
Chairing a meeting of the Health Department, the Chief Minister made it clear that while the government will ensure safety of doctors and other staff, any misbehavior with patients will not be tolerated.
The CM has directed the formation of a new committee to conduct a fresh investigation into the December 23 incident at Indira Gandhi Medical College where Dr Raghav Narula was caught on video in a physical altercation with a patient. This comes after resident doctors called off their three-day strike following the CM’s assurance for a detailed inquiry and review of Dr Narula’s termination.
Mandatory behavior training announced
In a significant policy decision, CM Sukhu has directed that mandatory Human Behavior and Man-Management courses be started for doctors to maintain ethics in the medical field. This training will be compulsory for all medical professionals in the state.
“The state government is considering including marks in the Annual Confidential Report (ACR) of doctors based on their good behavior with patients,” the Chief Minister announced during the meeting.
This means doctors’ performance evaluations will now include assessment of how they interact with and treat patients, making patient care an integral part of career progression.
Safety mechanism for doctors
While emphasizing patient dignity, the CM also acknowledged doctors’ safety concerns. He stated that if any patient or attendant misbehaves with doctors, the medical professionals should immediately report it to their senior officers.
This creates a formal complaint mechanism for doctors facing aggression or abuse from patients or their families, ensuring they are not left vulnerable.
Addressing workload concerns
The Chief Minister said the state government is filling vacant posts of doctors and paramedical staff on priority basis so that health workers can discharge their duties without mental pressure. He revealed that hundreds of posts in the Health Department have already been filled and more recruitments will be made in the future.
The CM acknowledged that staff shortages contribute to stress and burnout among medical professionals, which can sometimes lead to conflicts with patients.
Special incentives for specialists
CM Sukhu announced that the state government is also considering giving special incentives to highly educated doctors to attract more specialist physicians to the public medical sector. This is aimed at addressing the shortage of specialized medical expertise in government hospitals.
Zero tolerance for patient mistreatment
Making the government’s position unambiguous, the Chief Minister stated: “The state government will ensure the safety of doctors and other employees, but no kind of misbehavior with patients will be tolerated.”
This balanced approach seeks to protect both healthcare workers’ dignity and patients’ rights, recognizing that quality healthcare requires mutual respect.
The meeting was attended by Health Minister Dr (Colonel) Dhani Ram Shandil, Health Secretary Sandeep Kadam, Director Medical Education Dr Rakesh Sharma, Director Health Services Dr Gopal Berry, Special Secretary Dr Ashwani Sharma and Jitendra Sanjta, along with other senior officers.
The announcements come just a day after the Resident Doctors’ Association (RDA) called off its indefinite strike that had paralyzed healthcare services across Himachal Pradesh for three days. Over 2,800 doctors had been on mass leave since December 27, protesting the termination of Dr Raghav Narula.
CM had personally intervened on December 28, assuring the RDA of a detailed inquiry and review of the termination decision. Based on this assurance, doctors withdrew the strike and resumed duties from Monday.
