Shimla, Dec. 28 -- Health services barring emergency services were affected across several hospitals in Himachal Pradesh on Saturday as the government doctors went on an indefinite strike against the termination of a resident doctor who entered into a brawl with a patient. The doctors demanded the reinstatement of Raghav Nirula, a senior resident doctor in the department of pulmonary medicine at Indira Gandhi Medical College (IGMC) and Hospital, whose services were terminated following a video of him getting engaged in a physical altercation with a patient, Arjun Pawar from Chopal, went viral on social media. The incident took place on December 22. The doctors maintained that the termination of the medic within 48 hours was unjustified and that there was resentment brewing among the medical fraternity. "The emergency services are functioning. Consultants - including assistant professors, associate professors and professors - are rendering services to indoor patients and OPD. However, there were some issues with regards to planned surgeries," Dr Praveen Bhatia, deputy medical superintendent, IGMC, said on Saturday. Meanwhile, the Directorate of Medical Education and Research has issued standard operating procedures to provide uninterrupted health services, which included assigning OPD duties to consultants, ensuring residents on emergency duties are available round-the-clock and prioritising indoor patients. Reports of health services being affected due to the strike have poured in from Shimla, Dharamshala, Nahan, Hamirpur, Una and several other districts. Meanwhile, patients and attendants, especially those coming from remote locations, faced difficulties due to the unavailability of doctors. Bhawani, a patient from Mandi said, "It is very difficult for us as there are no doctors. We have been asked to come on some other date. The patients coming from far off areas are suffering for no fault." Jiya Lal, from the Sunni area of Shimla district, who has been undergoing cancer treatment at IGMC, said "I have been taking treatment here for the last 15 years. No doctor is available. One should maintain good behaviour oneself. Doctors do not misbehave with us because our own behaviour is good." Speaking to the media, president of the Resident Doctors' Association (RDA), IGMC Shimla, Dr Sohil Sharma said, "The chief minister has assured us that there will be an inquiry into the entire matter. However, the message that has gone out to resident doctors and the entire medical fraternity, is extremely disturbing." "The only way to address the resentment and harassment being faced by the entire medical fraternity is to revoke the termination of our resident doctor, Dr Raghav. After this incident, a negative narrative has been created against doctors," he added. Meanwhile, health minister Dhani Ram Shandil on Saturday said that medical services remain intact and the strike is unlikely to continue for long. "The doctors have proceeded on strike. But we had already issued instructions regarding all our emergency services and indoor services. We have ensured that facilities remain intact in all health institutions. Some doctors are available". Revenue, horticulture and tribal development minister Jagat Singh Negi on Saturday said the doctors' strike in the state should have been avoided as the CM had already ordered an inquiry into their demands, warning that such protests primarily harm the general public. "The CM listened to all their concerns and ordered an inquiry. Once the inquiry had been ordered, the doctors should have waited. When doctors go on protest, the biggest sufferers are the common man," Negi said....