As many as 38 junior doctors are facing action from medical college authorities after their on-campus reels went viral and people accused them of neglecting their duties.
Remarkably, Karnataka's Gadag Institute of Medical Sciences (GIMS) management cracked down on junior doctors recording reels on campus and extended housemanship (practical training).
The reels displayed the medical students dancing in their scrubs in the hospital corridors. Another reel showed them reading reports and holding saline bottles while a bed was wheeled across. Following the clips going viral on social media, many people accused the junior doctors of neglecting their duties by shooting quirky videos. The reels consisted of popular Hindi and Kannada songs.
The institution's director mentioned that it was a grave mistake by the students and that the students informed them that they had recorded the reels for their pre-graduation ceremony.
While speaking to TOI, Dr. Basavaraj Bommanhalli, the director of GIMS, stated that whatever junior doctors wanted to do, they should have done it outside the hospital premises to avoid inconvenience to patients. They haven't granted permission for such activities. They have taken note of this; junior doctors shouldn't have done it. Appropriate action has been taken against them. Junior doctor’s housemanship was supposed to end in the next 10–20 days, and they have extended that by another 10 days.
Reels captured by doctors have gone viral often in recent years, especially in the post-COVID era. These reels have polarized public opinion. While many have praised doctors for their moves and seen the reels as a way to deal with work stress, others have questioned whether such behavior reflects negligence towards their jobs and inconveniences patients.
(Input from various sources)
(Rehash/Komal Bhoi/MSM)
