A doctor at Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital (IGMC) in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, allegedly assaulted a patient from Kupvi subdivision on December 21, 2025, after the patient complained of rude behaviour during treatment for breathing difficulties, as shown in a viral 16-second video sparking protests by attendants demanding immediate suspension.
Health Minister Colonel Dhani Ram Shandil vowed “strict action” against any misconduct, summoning the Medical Superintendent, Principal, and other officials for a detailed probe, as opposition leader Jai Ram Thakur demanded an impartial investigation to uphold healthcare ethics and prevent future lapses.
Viral Chaos: Doctor-Patient Clash
The harrowing video, which has amassed thousands of views across social media platforms including Instagram and YouTube, depicts the patient lying on a hospital bed in the pulmonary medicine department, suddenly kicking out at the doctor amid a heated exchange.
The doctor, identified in reports as Dr. SAR, a specialist in the department, retaliates with punches, leading to a brief but intense fistfight that draws in bystanders and attendants who rush to intervene.
Despite their efforts to separate the two, the doctor reportedly reprimanded them sharply, intensifying the chaos in the crowded ward. The patient’s family and attendants allege the dispute ignited over procedural delays during a routine check for breathing issues, escalating when the doctor allegedly dismissed the patient’s polite request for courteous language with informal and rude retorts.
Protests erupted immediately outside the hospital gates, with relatives and supporters chanting slogans for the doctor’s suspension, blocking entry points briefly and vowing sustained agitation until justice is served.
One attendant told media crews, “We cannot tolerate such arrogance from those meant to heal us,” underscoring the raw anger felt by those reliant on public healthcare. Health Minister Shandil, responding swiftly to the uproar, declared in a public statement, “This kind of behaviour will not be tolerated in any government hospital… A detailed investigation will be conducted, and strict action will be taken as per rules.”
This high-level intervention highlights the political sensitivity of the matter in a state where public health infrastructure faces constant scrutiny.
Systemic Strains in Hospitals
This shocking incident at IGMC is not an isolated flare-up but part of a troubling pattern of doctor-patient conflicts plaguing public hospitals across Himachal Pradesh and India at large.
IGMC, one of the state’s premier tertiary care facilities, grapples with overwhelming patient influxes often exceeding capacity due to its role as a referral centre for remote areas like Kupvi subdivision leading to frayed tempers, long waits, and communication breakdowns under pressure.
Recent months have seen similar altercations in the region, including verbal spats over treatment protocols and delays, fuelling demands for better staffing, training in conflict resolution, and grievance redressal mechanisms.
Post-incident, attendants staged a sit-in demonstration, drawing media attention and prompting opposition leader Jai Ram Thakur to criticise the hospital administration for “lax oversight” and call for an independent inquiry committee to ensure transparency.
The government’s rapid response summoning the Medical Superintendent Dr. Rahul Rao (as initially reported) alongside the Principal and Director signals intent to address root causes, potentially introducing mandatory sensitivity workshops or CCTV monitoring in sensitive wards.
Yet, with no formal hospital statement released by December 22, 2025, the vacuum has allowed public discourse to dominate, amplifying calls for reforms amid fears of reprisals against whistleblowers.
Such events expose deeper fissures in India’s healthcare ecosystem, where dedicated professionals labour amid resource shortages, while patients endure indignities that erode faith in the system.
The Logical Indian’s Perspective
At The Logical Indian, we unequivocally champion peace, dialogue, kindness, empathy, harmony, and coexistence as the bedrock of every human interaction, especially in sacred spaces like hospitals where lives hang in the balance.
Violence, whether from a distressed patient or a beleaguered doctor, shatters the mutual trust essential for healing and poisons the well of communal goodwill; it solves nothing and sows only division.
Instead, we urge structured mediation protocols, empathy-driven training for medical staff, patient rights charters, and swift, transparent accountability to transform these pressure cookers into models of compassionate care fostering positive social change that benefits all. Hospitals must prioritise de-escalation over confrontation, ensuring no one feels cornered or dismissed.
