"Doctors, ambulances attacked"
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, August 20 2015 :
Two ambulances belonging to CMO Imphal West and CMO Imphal East have been badly damaged by supporters of hunger stri-kers agitating for ILPS or similar mechanism in the nights of August 17 and August 18 respectively.
According to a press release issued by Health Dir- ector Dr O Ibomcha, CMO Imphal East Dr Puspa Rai, Imphal West Medical Officer Dr K Tharbendra Sharma and MHW, CMO Imphal East Herojit Singh were also injured in the mob violence.
One ambulance carrying doctors was on its way to evacuate hunger strikers from near THAU ground, Thang-meiband when it was van- dalised by protesters at around 1.30 am of August 18 .
The ambulance was allotted to CMO, Imphal West.
Another ambulance allotted to CMO, Imphal East was also damaged at around midnight of August 18 while evacuating hunger strikers from Ananda Singh Higher Secondary Academy and Lairikyengbam Leikai, Khurai.
"Considering the fact that medical teams are put to a very difficult situation to continue medical coverage any more, we have withdrawn all stand-by teams along with vehicles from the fasting sites as there is no security for the staff and equipment including ambulance", it said.
The Health Director has also written to the DGP informing that the Medical Directorate and its district authorities are not in a position to provide medical coverage to hunger strikers with immediate effect unless safety/security of the staff and infrastructure are insured by the Police Department as well as the strikers.