Manipur: Indefinite strike by RIMS doctors affects thousands of OPD patients
The Indian Medical Association, Manipur Branch, has also announced a 24-hour strike, effective from 6am on September 23 to 6am on September 24.
Medical services at the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) hospital in Imphal were shut down on Monday after doctors launched an indefinite strike over the assault of a colleague and vandalism of hospital property by an irate mob following two deaths, leaving thousands of outpatients without treatment.
The Teachers’ and Medical Officers’ Association (TAMOA), Resident Doctor Association (RDA), RIMS students’ Union (RIMSSU), Non-teaching Employees Welfare Association (NTEWA) and others demonstrated in front of New OPD block of the hospital as a part of the indefinite shutdown.
“The association condemns the physical assault on a health care provider… We could have solved any issue peacefully without disturbing other patients…can understand the difficulties OPD patients are having to endure, but until the working environment becomes safe and conducive, normal duty will be suspended,” TAMOA president Dr Jiten Kumar told media persons.
Since Saturday, the death of two patients in the hospital allegedly due to a doctor’s negligence, has sparked violence in the hospital as the mob allegedly assaulted a gynecologist, professor Dr Ch Pritam Kumar alleging him of negligence leading to the death of a 35 years old Chingshubam Ongbi Manju of Liling Chajing Imphal West after a caesarean child birth.
Violence broke out at the hospital on Saturday after two patients died allegedly due to medical negligence. An irate mob assaulted gynecologist and professor Dr Ch. Pritam Kumar, accusing him of negligence in the death of 35-year-old Chingshubam Ongbi Manju of Liling Chajing, Imphal West, who died following a caesarean childbirth.
Hospital authority said Dr Pritam Kumar is still undergoing treatment at the Trauma ICU of the same hospital.
The incident followed the death of one 50-year-old Yambem Sanjoy of Bhamon Kampu Mayai Leikai, Imphal East, on Saturday, shortly after re-admission to the hospital. Family members of the deceased alleged the patient died due to negligence and lack of timely medical attention.
RIMS is the only government hospital in Manipur that runs under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
TAMOA, in a statement on Sunday, expressed strong condemnation over the “false allegation and violent assault on a senior and the most sincere duty abiding consultant of RIMS”.
The association announced an indefinite shutdown of all services at RIMS (OPD, emergency, routine OT and PME) from Sunday till the culprits are booked, punished, and a safe working environment is ensured for the health care staff. However, “patients already admitted in RIMS will continue to be given due care and attention”.
The Indian Medical Association, Manipur Branch, has also announced a 24-hour strike, effective from 6am on September 23 to 6am on September 24, suspending all routine OPDs, elective surgeries, and diagnostic tests at all private, government and home clinics, including diagnostic centres, across the state.
Meanwhile, the Youth’s Forum for Protection of Human Rights (YFPHR), a human rights organisation, has condemned doctors and hospital authorities for “committing grave human rights violations by RIMS authority”.
“These repeated failures are not isolated lapses but amount to grave violations of human rights and the right to health,” the forum in its statement said. It expressed “serious concerns about a possible nexus between medical practitioners and private hospitals”, raising suspicions that negligence in government facilities is being used to push patients towards private treatment for profit.
