Two cross-FIRs were registered at the Sector-11 police station on Tuesday following a physical altercation between the emergency staff at PGIMER and the attendant of a critically ill patient. The confrontation occurred on Monday evening, when tensions rose in the emergency ward, leading to a heated exchange that quickly turned physical.
The first FIR was lodged by Dr. Sehraj, the on-duty doctor in PGIMER’s emergency hall 3. Her complaint, filed through the PGIMER chief security officer, accused Meera, a resident of Himachal Pradesh, of assaulting hospital staff. According to Dr. Sehraj, the situation escalated when a nurse requested the medical chart of the patient. Meera’s brother, Tejender Singh, who was also present as an attendant, allegedly did not cooperate, which led the nurse to seek assistance from security personnel. Despite attempts to de-escalate the situation, Meera reportedly remained confrontational. In an effort to control the situation, a female security guard tried to restrain Meera, who allegedly twisted the guard’s wrist and scratched her. Dr. Sehraj further claimed that Meera’s continuous shouting disrupted the functioning of the emergency ward.
On the other hand, the second FIR was registered based on Meera’s complaint. She and her brother were attending to their sister-in-law, Nisha Devi, who had been admitted to the emergency ward on October 6. Meera’s version of the incident alleged that the altercation began when her brother was disposing of juice waste in a dustbin within the ward on Monday morning. She claimed that a sweeper made inappropriate remarks toward her brother, which led to a verbal argument. Meera accused the hospital staff of ganging up on her brother, with security guards allegedly threatening to teach him a lesson. Later in the evening, during a routine check-up, Meera claimed that a nurse rudely demanded the patient’s medical chart, and when her brother did not understand, the nurse reportedly threw medical papers at him.
Meera alleged that when she tried to intervene, the nurse called security, who forcibly removed her brother from the ward. When Meera attempted to record the incident on her phone, she claimed that a security guard snatched her phone, and another guard physically grabbed her hand. She further accused the hospital staff of fabricating allegations to cover up their own unprofessional behavior.
Both FIRs involve accusations under various sections of the BNS. The FIR filed by Meera charges hospital staff with harassment and physical assault under Sections 127(1) and 351(2), while the cross-FIR by the hospital accuses Meera of physical assault, misbehavior, and obstruction of medical duties under Sections 115(1), 121(1), 132, and 127(1). Chandigarh Police are currently reviewing CCTV footage and gathering witness statements to clarify the sequence of events.
Meanwhile, health services at PGIMER were disrupted as resident doctors went on strike following the incident, protesting the alleged harassment of hospital staff. The strike led to a suspension of emergency services for over three hours, leaving many patients struggling to receive medical care. As of Tuesday evening, no internal inquiry had been initiated by the hospital.
(Input From Various Sources)
(Rehash/Ankur Deka/MSM)
