NEW DELHI: AIIMS is under fire after failing to comply with the Ministry of Health’s directive to file an FIR within six hours of a violent attack on a doctor. The incident, which occurred at a peripheral health centre in Ballabgarh, has sparked outrage among resident doctors, who are now threatening to go on strike if the institution does not take immediate action.
On Thursday night, a junior doctor on duty at PHC Chhainsa was physically assaulted by a patient's son while trying to manage a critical stroke case. As two junior residents administered CPR inside the room, the intern stepped outside to arrange an ambulance and referral card. That's when the patient's son allegedly attacked the intern, threatening to kill every doctor present if his father did not survive.
Despite the seriousness of the assault, AIIMS did not file an FIR even two days later, violating a clear directive issued by the Ministry of Health. The Ministry’s memo, issued in August during the nationwide strike by the junior doctors, mandates that an institutional FIR must be registered by heads of institutions within six hours in cases of violence against healthcare workers. National bodies of resident doctors, including FORDA and FAIMA, have rallied behind the AIIMS residents, condemning the delay and demanding swift legal action.
An emergency meeting held on Friday morning between AIIMS officials, the village sarpanch, local police, and faculty members failed to resolve the issue. While discussions were held, no FIR was filed, and a ‘compromise’ was pushed, according to the Resident Doctors’ Association (RDA) of AIIMS.
The RDA has called the institution's inaction "unacceptable" and is demanding that the FIR be lodged under the Haryana Medicare Service Persons and Institutions (Prevention of Violence and Damage to Property) Act, 2009. They have warned that failure to act will force them to withdraw from rural services and initiate a full-scale protest.
“Failure to act promptly will leave RDA AIIMS with no choice but to withdraw rural services and initiate a protest,” the RDA stated.