By Sandeep Verma 
Shamli, November 21: A short video filmed inside the Kandhla government health centre in western Uttar Pradesh has set off an unexpected chain of administrative actions and public discussion. The clip, which shows Dr Afkar Siddiqui dancing with a woman identified as his fiancée, was recorded inside a duty room or residential quarter on the hospital’s upper floor. Once it surfaced early on Friday, it quickly travelled through the district’s WhatsApp groups and drew sharp reactions from both residents and officials.
The moment captured in the footage appears lighthearted, but the setting has turned it into a matter of official concern. Reports in Amar Ujala, Hindustan and LatestLY confirm that the hospital administration views the incident as a violation of workplace conduct inside a public health facility. By the afternoon, a formal notice had been issued to the doctor, and the room in question was vacated.
A Private Celebration That Spilt Into A Public Space
People familiar with the health centre say the upper floor is used for doctors on night duty or those allotted residential rooms. According to Amar Ujala, the video was shot in one such room. It shows Dr Siddiqui and the woman dancing casually, suggesting a celebratory recording rather than anything planned for public viewing.
Still, as it turns out, the problem was not the act itself. It was the location. A government health facility is expected to maintain a certain standard of formality, and the use of its rooms for private recreation raised concerns the moment the clip became public.
LatestLY reported that the video was linked to an engagement celebration, though the platform also noted that the department saw it as inappropriate given the place where it was filmed.
Why The Hospital Administration Moved Swiftly
The responsibility to respond fell first on Dr Virendra Singh, the medical superintendent of the centre. According to Amar Ujala, he issued a notice to the doctor soon after the matter came to his attention. Officials said the incident risked “lowering the dignity of the institution”, a phrase repeated in more than one local report.
Hindustan added that the hospital asked Dr Siddiqui for a detailed written explanation. The room that appears in the video was also cleared out. This step, according to local officers quoted in the reports, was taken to ensure that official space is not used for anything outside prescribed duties.
The hospital has since forwarded its preliminary findings to senior authorities. Officials say the state government will decide whether the matter requires further disciplinary action.
Reaction Among Residents: Annoyance, Surprise And Questions
Shamli district’s residents are not strangers to debates around government services, and the video quickly became part of that larger conversation. Many people living near the health centre expressed annoyance, saying they did not expect personal activities to take place inside hospital premises. Hindustan noted that several locals were troubled by the idea that a doctor could use a government room for recreation, even if he was off duty.
Still, some voices in the community pointed out that the recording involved the doctor’s personal life and would not have caused trouble if it had been filmed elsewhere. But very few seemed to defend the choice of location. The fact that the video was captured inside a space meant to support emergency medical services changed the tone of the conversation.
In smaller towns, where government hospitals remain the primary source of treatment for most families, even a minor lapse can erode trust. That sentiment ran through several local reactions reported during the day.
What The Health Department Is Considering Now
For now, the department’s actions are procedural:
• Notice issued
• Room vacated
• Explanation sought
• Report sent to senior officials
The next move depends on the state health administration. It will evaluate the doctor’s written reply and decide whether the incident amounts to misconduct under service rules.
The doctor has not made any public statement yet. There is also no indication of what he has said in his formal reply. That silence has kept speculation alive, though officials insist the matter should be handled strictly through official channels.
A Wider Discussion On Conduct Inside Hospitals
Incidents involving videos from inside government hospitals have become more frequent over the past few years. Staff members filming short clips, dance snippets or social-media content in wards, corridors or duty rooms have triggered disciplinary steps in multiple states. The Kandhla incident fits into that pattern and raises familiar concerns:
• Can official quarters be used for private activities?
• Should hospitals impose clearer rules on filming inside premises?
• How much personal freedom do doctors have while living on government property?
Experts interviewed in earlier cases have often said that employees’ private lives must be respected, but the institutional setting cannot be ignored. Public facilities depend on public trust. Anything that appears to trivialise that responsibility tends to attract sharper scrutiny.
This incident, coming from a district-level health centre, also highlights the uneven implementation of conduct guidelines across hospitals. Senior administrators have previously discussed the need for uniform policies for duty rooms, residential blocks and staff behaviour on official premises.
The Road Ahead
At this stage, the situation is stable: the hospital has taken its initial steps, the district administration has completed its part, and the state government will review the explanation. There is no confirmation yet of a suspension, warning or transfer.
People in Kandhla continue to debate the issue, though the intensity of the discussion has settled. Many residents say the matter could have been avoided entirely if the video had been recorded outside the hospital. Others believe institutions must handle such lapses with care, ensuring that the punishment, if any, matches the gravity of the act.
For now, officials are focused on procedure. The hospital wants to reinforce that government premises have defined uses, while the health department is keen on signalling that any breach of decorum will invite scrutiny.
Conclusion
What began as a brief celebratory moment has grown into a district-level controversy because of where it occurred. The Kandhla video has opened up a fresh debate on conduct, responsibility and the boundaries between private life and public duty inside government hospitals.
The final word will come from the state health authorities, but the episode has already left an imprint: public institutions rely heavily on perception, and even a small misstep inside their walls can set off a larger conversation about trust and integrity.
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Regional journalist bringing grassroots perspectives and stories from towns and cities across India.
- Sandeep Vermahttps://hindustanherald.in/author/sandeep/
- Sandeep Vermahttps://hindustanherald.in/author/sandeep/
- Sandeep Vermahttps://hindustanherald.in/author/sandeep/
- Sandeep Vermahttps://hindustanherald.in/author/sandeep/
