Imphal, February 08 2010: Hundreds of patients have now started bearing the brunt of the indefinite cease-work strike launched by employees of the Regional Institute of Medical Science (RIMS) .

Following the cease-work strike both emergency services and OPD have been closed.

Moreover all kinds of surgical operations and admission of new patients have been suspended although in-patients are still given medical service.

Four associations of RIMS staff �� Teachers and Medical Officers Association, Association of Junior Doctors, RIMS Nurses Association and NonTeaching Welfare Association, lunched the ceasework strike since February 6 against the alleged irregularity in payment of salaries and abuse of power by the RIMS Director.

Although the agitation started with only suspension of teaching activities and closure of emergency services, the employees intensified their agitation by suspending OPD service from today as well.

Meanwhile, RIMS Superintendent Dr Y Mohen has appealed to the employees to call off the cease-work strike or spare at least emergency services from the purview of the agitation.

He has also assured the agitating bodies that salaries of employees would be paid very soon.

Unaware that RIMS employees have launched cease-work strike, hundreds of patients came to the premier medical institute for diagnosis and treatment today.

But they were dejected on seeing that both OPD and emergency services have been suspended.

Ultimately, they were compelled to go to nearby private hospitals and clinics where they had to spend multiple amounts of money than would be required at RIMS.

One Agni Devi from Thounaojam who brought her son to the hospital following complaints of pain in the urinary tract said, "As the pain was worsening, we woke up before dawn and came to Imphal in the first bus for diagnosis at RIMS.

We don't know the OPD has been closed.

We are caught in a precarious situation, even unable to go back because of the illness".

One Salma Begum from Lilong who brought three-year old kid to RIMS following incessant coughing and difficulty in breathing said that her hope of diagnosing and treating her child at RIMS was shattered when the OPD was found not functioning.

At the time when Salma Begum was talking to this reporter, she was still undecided whether to go back home or take her child to a private hospital.

Many other patients were seen coming to the hospital only to find it not functioning, much to their inconvenience and annoyance.

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