Doctors at Regional Hospital Kullu, along with private medical practitioners and other healthcare staff, staged a protest march on Tuesday and submitted a memorandum to the Additional District Magistrate (ADM) and Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), demanding strict action against those responsible for mob attacks on the hospital premises on June 26 and 29.
The protest was organised by the Himachal Medical Officers Association (HMOA), Kullu Branch, in coordination with the Indian Medical Association (IMA). More than 200 healthcare workers, including doctors, nurses, laboratory technicians, pharmacists and support staff, took part in the peaceful march to the district administration office.
Addressing the media, Dr Rajender Kohli recounted the events when an estimated crowd of 2,000 to 2,500 people allegedly stormed Regional Hospital after being mobilised through social media following a maternal death at the hospital.
“They barged through the gates and entered the hospital premises. They gathered in the garden area where patients and attendants rest and began shouting slogans. We were called murderers and butchers. Our nurses were threatened and they demanded that the concerned doctors and nurses be brought before them," Dr Kohli said.
“What was the meaning of bringing them before 2,000 people? They wanted mob lynching," he added, saying the situation could have turned catastrophic had the healthcare workers been physically handed over to the crowd.
Speaking on behalf of the association, Dr Kalyan said medical staff continued providing treatment despite the hostile atmosphere.
“We have not stopped working. We worked in that difficult situation and we know how we managed," he said.
In their memorandum, the doctors sought immediate registration of an FIR against the social media accounts and individuals accused of inciting the mob, a cyber forensic investigation into the alleged online mobilisation, permanent police deployment at the hospital and protection for doctors from arbitrary administrative action driven by mob pressure.
Dr Satyavrat Vaidya said private practitioners and representatives of all categories of healthcare workers had joined the protest.
“A mob of 3,000 people came to our hospital and disrupted work. We don’t know who allowed them and how it was permitted. The Supreme Court guidelines were not followed," he said, adding that healthcare workers were now living in fear.
Meanwhile, social media platforms were flooded with posts criticising the doctors’ protest. Some members of the public claimed the demand had only been for action against the concerned doctor and nurses and that no physical harm had been caused to anyone. It was also alleged that previous FIRs had been registered against the doctor concerned, a native of Lahaul, and that several aggrieved individuals had earlier raised concerns over the doctor’s behaviour and treatment.
The district administration has assured the doctors that the matter will be taken seriously and forwarded to the appropriate authorities. The HMOA has also sought the intervention of the Chief Minister and the Chief Secretary, urging immediate action to restore institutional order and ensure the safety of healthcare workers and patients.
The doctors warned that failure to act promptly could lead to a breakdown in health services across the region because of deep-seated fear among medical staff. They reiterated their commitment to providing uninterrupted medical care, but stressed that a safe and secure working environment was essential for carrying out emergency surgeries and delivering critical care.
