Public meeting discusses unnatural death
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, August 07 2014: A public meeting on the unnatural death of Wangkhem Eliza was held today at Singjamei community hall under the aegis of the Okram Leikai Women Association, Oinam Thingel Ningthoujam Leikai Women Welfare Association, Okram Leikai Youth Club, Singjamei Oinam Thingel Meira Paibi, JAC Against the Unnatural Death of Wangkhem Eliza, the Women Development and Cultural Foundation, Chingmi Tammi Apunba Lup and the Meeyam Amata Punishinba Lup.

Addressing the meeting, Women Action for Development secretary Sobita Mangshatabam urged the Government, the 60 MLAs of the State and the Indian Medical Association to find out if there is any connection between absence of medical (health) policy and unnatural death of women during child delivery.

She asserted that absence of a medical policy creates a big gap between doctors and patients.

Wangkhem Eliza died at Shija Hospital after delivering a boy at RIMS in July last.

Another woman from Kyamgei died after child delivery at JNIMS.

There should be specific factors/reasons for the unnatural death of women during or after child delivery but doctors seldom explain the causal factors to patient parties.

Patient parties were not given updated information about the health status of patients.

With regard to the unnatural death of Eliza, memoranda seeking proper investigation were submitted to the Chief Minister as well as the RIMS authority but to no avail so far.

After delivering a child at RIMS, Eliza's body swelled and develop difficulties in urination.

A few days she could not even speak.

Then she was admitted in Shija Hospital.

But neither Eliza could be saved nor the factors responsible for her death could be ascertained, Sobita said.

Likewise many women have died during or after child delivery but in most of these cases, the factors responsible for their death were concealed or never established.

Eliza's case may occur to every family of the State if the particular case is not properly investigated and responsibility fixed, she said.

Reacting to a statement issued by the Indian Medical Council that a negative propaganda was being circulated against Dr Naakishore and Dr Trinity of RIMS, Sobita asked if any progress has been made in case any enquiry was instituted with regard to the unnatural death of Eliza or against Dr Nabakishore and Dr Trinity.

United NGOs Mission Manipur convenor U Nobokishore said that many patients have died in health institutions of the State because of the absence of a proper medical policy.

Naharolgi Thoudang Editor alleged that majority of the doctors are commercially oriented overlooking professional ethics because of which human value got reduced in their view.

Expiry of patients at hospitals due to unknown reasons is a form of human rights violation.

Human right activists need to pay special attention to this area too, he asserted.

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