Service not suspended: Medical Director
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, August 24 2015:
Reacting to the statement made by Manipur Commission for Protection of Child Rights (MCPRC) that the Medical Directorate has suspended routine medical checkups and ambulance services, the State Medical Directorate has today clarified that there is no such decision taken by the Directorate.
Speaking to media persons, Director of Health Services, Dr O Ibomcha stated that the statement issued by the Medical Directorate was wrongly interpreted.
The Directorate in its previous statement mentioned that the emergency ambulance service which are kept ready for emergency use in various areas would be pulled back to provide routine checkups for hunger strike protesters.
Mentioning that several ambulances were damaged by the public in the last few days, he stated that the CMO of Imphal East Dr Pushpa Rai sustained injuries in a tussle with the public when they went to provide medical help to protesters in various areas with the police.
He added that the Directorate had intimated the Director General of Police that the medical teams will not go along with the police in providing service to the hunger strike protesters.
"With police by our side public are not happy with us and we don't want that", Ibomcha stated.
"The Medical Department has been in the forefront during public movements since the past and rendered service by providing prompt medical care and attention.
We will continue to provide the service," he added.
Medical teams led by their respective CMOs in different districts are well prepared and equipped to face any eventualities, he added.
Mobile ambulance service and care has been providing service to hunger strike protesters round the clock and people should have trust and faith with the medical staff, Dr Ibomcha said.
The Medical Directorate has appointed several doctors as ILP Issue Medical Coverage teams.
SNO Dr Kh Sasheekumar Mangang (09612555708), CMO Imphal East Dr Pushpa Rai (08414098272), CMO Imphal West Dr Kula (08974009603), CMO Thoubal Dr Jayantakumar (08974009015) and CMO Bishnupur Dr Babychand (09436025511) can be contacted through the numbers provided against their names for any emergency, he said.
Till today four ambulances were damaged by protesters, he added.