Ludhiana, May 21 -- A tense situation unfolded at Ludhiana Civil Hospital on Wednesday after an outsourced Group D employee allegedly consumed intoxicating pills inside the hospital premises following a dispute over a recent change in his duty assignment, triggering panic among staff and attendants.

The employee, identified as Santokh, had been working as a ward attendant in the medicine department and medical store section of the hospital since nearly 12 years.

Sources said he had been upset for the past few days after hospital authorities shifted his duty as part of an ongoing rationalisation exercise. According to employees, Santokh was under mental stress after the sudden change in deployment and had repeatedly expressed concern ove...