OPD closed for some time, DM intervenes
Source: Chronicle News Service
Senapati, December 20 2022:
As a part of the on-going strike and following the resolution adopted in the emergency meeting of All Manipur Medical Health Services Doctors' Association (AMHSDA) executives and working committee held on December 18, OPD services at District Hospital, Senapati were suspended for half day on Tuesday.
AMHSDA has been demanding time bound/ scale promotion, extension of superannuation of age to 65 years for specialist and non-specialist doctors as administrative post, NPA fixation with effect from January 1, 2016 as per the Central 7th Pay Commission similar to doctors at JNIMS hospital, Imphal and major amendment to the out-dated MHS Rules 1982 .
The agitation intensified from November 1 by donning black badges, staging peaceful and democratic sit-in protests, launching relay hunger strike and taking one-day mass casual leave on December 16 which was responded by around 750 doctors.
Mentioning that there are no superior or inferior employees and privileged or non-privileged cadres, AMHSDA called for total closure of OPDs and emergency services under Manipur Health Services on Tuesday.
Earlier, the association had notified to the public to consider the grievances of the doctors and bear with the closure of OPD and emergency services.
Meanwhile, Senapati Additional District Magistrate (ADM) along with the additional SP rushed to the district hospital on hearing about closure of OPD services.
Consequently, ADM HL Jain ordered the district police personnel to break open the lock.
Addressing media, HL Jain stated that the lock was broken to make the OPD functional as usual upon instruction from higher authority, On the other hand, Senapati District Women's Association (SDWA) stated that they are concerned and stand in solidarity with the aggrieved doctors.
The public/patients are greatly affected by the total closures of OPD and emergency services carried out by the doctors even if it is for few hours as the public need the doctors each passing hour.
As mothers of the district, SDWA appealed to the government to consider the 4-point demands submitted by AMHSDA to avoid such inConveniences to public in future and that, the basic and fundamental rights of the doctors are not deprived.