Safdarjung resident docs to continue strike over assault

Resident doctors at Safdarjung Hospital will continue their strike on Thursday after an alleged incident of verbal and physical assault on a senior anaesthesia resident by the Head of the Cardio-Thoracic and Vascular Surgery (CTVS) Department.

Elective services in operation theatres and outpatient departments have been withdrawn, though emergency services remain functional. The incident took place on November 28 inside the CTVS ICU.

“Our resident was managing the case in the ICU when the HoD asked him a question. The resident replied, but the HoD was not satisfied with the answer,” Dr Arun Kumar, Senior Resident at Safdarjung Hospital, told The Tribune.

“The HoD is known to be short-tempered. He has had similar issues in the past. This time, he ended up hitting the resident,” he said.

Dr Kumar said the inquiry committee is reviewing the incident, but residents are concerned about the pace. “We have called for a general body meeting of doctors from other departments tomorrow. If no action is taken, we will escalate the protest to the entire hospital,” Dr Kumar said.

In a complaint submitted to the administration, the Resident Doctors’ Association (RDA) said the resident faced “verbal and physical abuse” by the CTVS Head.

Over the next three days, several meetings were held between the hospital administration, institutional inquiry committee, anaesthesia residents and RDA representatives.

The RDA said during a concluding meeting, the administration, residents and the association agreed on three steps - a verbal apology at the site of the incident, a written unconditional apology to be submitted to the administration, and a final letter from the Director confirming that an apology had been issued and that the matter had been reviewed by the committee.

The RDA said the complainant had agreed to accept the apology and confirm in writing that the matter would not be taken further. However, according to the association, the administration later told them that “no letter containing the word ‘apology’ would be issued,” breaking the agreement.

The RDA said this “unilateral reversal” left anaesthesia residents with “no choice but to withdraw their services from all elective OTs and OPD with immediate effect.”

Meanwhile, the hospital issued an office order on December 2, stating, “An inquiry committee has been constituted which will initiate proceedings with immediate effect.” It also said, “To ensure an impartial inquiry, Dr Manju Gupta… will be officiating as HOD of the CTVS till the conclusion of the inquiry.”

With the strike entering its second day, the Federation of All-India Medical Associations (FAIMA) said residents would continue their protest until a written apology is provided and the CTVS Head is suspended until the inquiry is completed.

The Federation of Resident Doctors’ Association (FORDA) has called for an independent, time-bound probe, saying the case raises concerns about workplace safety.

The hospital administration has not issued a public response on the demands or the status of the inquiry.