President urged to intervene in Manipur's public health system
Source: Chronicle News Service

Imphal, June 24 2025: A group of social activists representing the National Health Rights Alliance, All India Feminist Alliance (ALIFA), and National Alliance for Justice, Accountability and Rights (NAJAR), and pan-Indian initiatives of the National Alliance of People's Movements (NAPM), have submitted a memorandum to the President of India Droupadi Murmu seeking urgent intervention in Manipur's "severely affected public health system".

The representation, published on Countercurrents.org, was signed by 284 individuals from different professions and highlighted compounded health crisis in the state in the aftermath of the ongoing violence since 2023, underlining the need for immediate institutional and financial measures during the current President's Rule.

The representation noted that Article 21 of the Constitution guarantees the right to life with dignity, which inherently includes the right to health.

However, in Manipur, the protracted violence has devastated healthcare infrastructure and essential services, with hospitals damaged, health personnel under threat, and many areas experiencing severe shortages of medical staff and supplies.

The continuing conflict has displaced over 70,000 people into overcrowded relief camps with poor sanitation and limited access to care, exposing them to the risk of disease outbreaks and worsening existing health vulnerabilities.

The activists emphasised the disproportionate impact on women, who face widespread gender-based violence, including sexual assault, leading to long-term trauma, depression, and other mental health issues.

Women's reproductive and menstrual health needs remain largely neglected.

Children, too, are deeply affected, with reports of high levels of PTSD and emotional distress caused by prolonged exposure to violence and disrupted education.

The memorandum cited reports from Sphere India, stating that 253 relief camps in 10 districts are sheltering thousands amidst 142 deaths and over 6,000 injuries.

Essential care for pregnant women, young children, the elderly, and people living with chronic illnesses such as Tuberculosis, HIV, and non-communicable diseases has been severely disrupted.

There are also no functioning rehabilitation services for people with disabilities or addiction issues, and economic hardships continue to prevent access to medical treatment.

The activists pointed out that despite Manipur's relatively better health indicators in past years, the ongoing crisis threatens to reverse progress.

They stated that the state's public health infrastructure is skewed, with most facilities concentrated in Imphal, while districts such as Churachandpur, Kangpokpi, and Tengnoupal lack basic services.

In Churachandpur, for instance, there is an urgent need to establish Community Health Centres in Tuibong and Sangaikot, while the existing CHC has only 10 beds to cater to a population of three lakh.

Tengnoupal has just one CHC for the entire district, and Kangpokpi lacks a district-level hospital.

The situation is made worse by the exodus of community health workers from conflict-affected areas.

They noted that health centres in Churachandpur and Kangpokpi are barely functional.

Many villages have been abandoned, while some centres lack personnel and basic equipment.

Accredited health institutions also suf fer from an acute shortage of nurses and doctors.

The health crisis, the memorandum warned, is a reflection of systemic neglect and failure in healthcare planning, crisis response and equitable distribution of resources.

Calling for immediate steps, the memorandum urged the President to constitute a Special Task Force with cabinet-level authority to assess the public health situation in Manipur and recommend urgent corrective measures within a two-month timeline.

It also demanded the recruitment of additional medical personnel, allocation of extra funds for health services, and decentralised infrastructure development across districts.

Stressing the need for inter-departmental coordination, the activists sought a non-discriminatory approach to ensure that all social groups, including tribal, religious minorities, transgender persons and others, receive adequate care and protection.

The groups demanded that the health budget be doubled, and called for the inclusion of mental health services at all primary health centres, a halt to the privatisation of district hospitals, and stronger regulation of corporate healthcare providers.

They further proposed that the state government should eventually enact a comprehensive Right to Health law for all citizens.

The signatories urged the President to visit Manipur, interact with affected communities across both hills and valley, and take effective steps to uphold the right to health, life, safety and dignity of the people.

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