By Ananya Sharma 
Shimla, December 23: Most people do not walk into a government hospital expecting comfort. They expect crowds, long waits, sharp words, and tired doctors. What they do not expect is to be hit. That is why what happened inside Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital, IGMC, Shimla, has left people angry and unsettled.
A 36-year-old man, admitted for a lung test, says he was punched by a doctor while lying on his hospital bed. A short mobile video of the incident is now everywhere. On phones. On news channels. On social media. And once people saw it, there was no looking away. In the video, the patient is lying down. He looks weak. A doctor stands beside him. There is some argument. Then suddenly, the doctor hits him. Blood is visible on the man’s nose. He does not get up. He does not shout back. He just lies there.
For many people watching, it felt frighteningly familiar.
How Things Went Wrong
According to the patient and reports by Hindustan Times, Medical Dialogues, and The Indian Express, the man had gone to IGMC for a bronchoscopy, a test used to check lung problems. The procedure was over. He was resting in the pulmonary medicine ward, doing what patients are told to do.
Later, two doctors came to speak with him. The patient told police that he objected to the way one doctor spoke to him. He felt the tone was rude and humiliating. Anyone who has spent time in a government hospital knows how common this is. Patients are scared and exhausted. Doctors are rushed and under pressure. Tempers are short.
But this time, it did not stop with words.
The video shows one of the doctors, later identified as a senior resident, hitting the patient while he remains on the bed. The man suffered a nose injury and bleeding. Hospital officials confirmed to The Tribune that he is still under treatment. What angered people most was not just the violence, but the power difference. A patient, weak after a procedure, had no way to defend himself.
Why This Case Could Not Be Ignored
Fights and arguments inside hospital wards usually stay hidden. Patients rarely complain. Families keep quiet because they fear trouble or delays in treatment.
This case did not stay hidden because someone recorded it. The video spread quickly. First on WhatsApp groups. Then on Instagram and Facebook. Soon, television channels picked it up. According to Deccan Herald and The Times of India, the hospital administration was forced to respond once the visuals went public.
People reacted strongly because the video showed something many already believe. In government hospitals, patients often feel small and helpless.
Hospital Action And Police Case
After the video went viral, IGMC suspended the accused doctor, a senior resident in the pulmonary medicine department, with immediate effect. The hospital ordered a departmental inquiry to look into the incident.
At the same time, Shimla police registered an FIR based on the patient’s complaint. Police officials told The Tribune that charges related to causing hurt have been added. More sections could be included after medical reports and inquiry findings.
Hospital authorities said violence would not be tolerated inside hospital premises and that they would cooperate with the investigation.
Protests Outside The Hospital
By evening, the anger had spilled outside. Relatives of the patient and other attendants gathered near the IGMC campus. Some shouted slogans. Some just stood there, upset and frustrated. Police were deployed to keep the situation under control.
Several people told reporters from Moneycontrol and Deccan Herald that this incident felt personal. Many said they had faced rude behaviour in hospitals but stayed silent because they had no choice. When you are sick, you cannot afford to fight.
The video, they said, showed what usually happens without cameras.
Government Responds
The incident soon reached the state government. Dhani Ram Shandil, the Health Minister of Himachal Pradesh, condemned the assault and promised action. As reported by The Times of India and Economic Times, the minister confirmed the doctor’s suspension and said a detailed investigation was underway. He said such behaviour by medical professionals would not be tolerated.
Officials also hinted that the health department may review how doctors talk to and treat patients in government hospitals.
A Bigger Fear
This case is not just about one doctor or one patient. Government hospitals are overcrowded. Doctors are overworked. Patients arrive scared, sick, and desperate. Arguments happen every day. Still, as healthcare experts quoted by The Indian Express have said, stress cannot justify violence. A patient lying on a hospital bed is completely dependent on the system. That trust matters.
When people begin to fear hospitals, something is deeply wrong.
What Happens Now
The next steps depend on the police investigation and the hospital inquiry. The video is likely to be key evidence. IGMC continues to function, but under public watch. For many families, the incident has struck a nerve because it reflects a fear they already carry.
A hospital is meant to heal. When it becomes a place of fear, people do not forget easily.
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- Ananya Sharmahttps://hindustanherald.in/authors/ananya/
- Ananya Sharmahttps://hindustanherald.in/authors/ananya/
- Ananya Sharmahttps://hindustanherald.in/authors/ananya/
- Ananya Sharmahttps://hindustanherald.in/authors/ananya/
Dr. Ritu Malhotra