Rohit Shishodia
The Himachal Pradesh Doctor Officer’s Association has come out strongly in support of Dr Ajay Jaryal, RDA-President, Indira Gandhi Medical College, Shimla, who was threatened by a senior health official with strong action for writing letters to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) regarding problems doctors face in hospitals.

In a press note issued to the media, the association says: “For some time, the voices of elected representatives of RDAs have been suppressed. They have been issued show cause notices and threatened with charge sheet. It is very unfortunate, condemnable and an assault on democracy.”

The doctors said that Dr Jaryal was threatened by Special Secretary Dr Nipun Jindal for writing to NHRC.

Dr Jaryal, in his letter to NHRC in February 2019, had apprised the plight of doctors during duty hours as there are no sleeping benches, no separate room for male and female doctors and 36 hours continued duty.

The association has sought the intervention of the chief minister and the health minister so that such threats are never repeated.