An inquiry has been ordered by the Health Department of the Haryana government after a viral video on social media showed doctors and nursing staff celebrating with pizza and golgappas inside the Special Newborn Care Unit (SNCU) of the Civil Hospital in Bahadurgarh, officials said.
The celebration was reportedly organised to mark the promotion of a doctor and took place inside the SNCU, a restricted unit meant for the treatment of premature, critically ill and infection-prone newborns.
The viral video, which has drawn widespread attention on the internet, shows doctors and nursing staff serving and eating food inside the ward while one of the staff members records the gathering.
Following the circulation of the clip, Jhajjar Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Dr Manju Kadian constituted an inquiry committee under the supervision of Bahadurgarh Principal Medical Officer (PMO) Dr Devender Megha to examine the circumstances under which the event was held.
According to hospital sources, the gathering was organised to celebrate the promotion of Dr Jeetanshu. The video also purportedly shows SNCU in-charge Dr Abhibhushan and several nurses from different hospital wards participating in the celebration.
The 54-second video captures nearly 20 members of the hospital staff assembled inside the unit. It shows pizza being served to colleagues while other staff members distribute golgappas. Several participants can also be seen eating inside the ward during the celebration.
Responding to the controversy, CMO Dr Kadian said organising any celebration inside a patient-care area was inappropriate and contrary to hospital protocols. She, however, clarified that no patients were admitted to the SNCU at the time the gathering took place.
She said that although the ward was vacant, conducting a party inside a designated patient-care area was unacceptable. The CMO added that all doctors and hospital employees had been instructed that no celebrations or similar events would be permitted inside any patient-treatment area in the future.
The SNCU is a specialised facility designed to provide intensive care to newborns requiring constant medical supervision. The unit operates under strict infection-control and hygiene protocols, with entry and movement regulated to minimise the risk of infection. Officials said the inquiry committee would determine whether any hospital rules were violated and recommend appropriate action based on its findings.