The Manipur health department took prompt action and suspended three senior doctors for neglect of duty after they allegedly neglected to report to Jiribam District Hospital as per their assigned postings. The physicians, Drs. Feiga Luckson Gangmei (expert in anesthesia), Oinam Bisu Singh (also in anesthesia), and Laishram Oken Singh (specialist in plastic surgery), were told to stay in their separate Imphal headquarters and are not allowed to leave without official government clearance.
The government described their absence as “disobeying government orders and failure to report for duty,” according to The Telegraph. The doctors were consequently placed under immediate suspension, and under sub-rule (1) of Rule 10 of the Central Civil Services Rule 1965, disciplinary actions were started. On June 13, the Manipur government’s joint secretary for health and family welfare, Dr. Yumnam Suraj, issued the suspension order.
The decision to suspend the physicians was made in response to a June 8 order from Director of Health Services Dr. O. Sanahanbi, which stipulated that three staff nurses and four doctors would be stationed at the Community Health Center (CHC) in Jiribam. The current state of law and order in the district, which had gotten worse because of security concerns and ethnic disputes, made this command necessary. Only one physician appeared for duty despite the urgency and the explicit instructions, which prompted Dr. Sanahanbi to issue a second order on June 11 and give the remaining three physicians till June 12 to report. They were severely suspended by the authorities when they did not comply.
The suspension was a direct result of the doctors’ disobedience of government orders, an official told The Telegraph. The official highlighted Jiribam’s dire need for medical personnel, particularly in light of the unstable circumstances in the district. Not only was the absence of these physicians a show of defiance, but it also represented a serious medical shortfall for the district’s displaced populace. The suspension highlights how serious the situation is in Jiribam, where recent ethnic confrontations have resulted in an increase in the need for medical care.
The Jiribam District Hospital is currently experiencing extreme strain as a result of a significant number of displaced people. A fire on June 6 decimated around a hundred homes from different communities. Because of this occurrence, some 1,000 Meitei people who lived in the Borobekra subdivision’s villages such as Lamtaikhunou, Madhupur, and Loukoipung were compelled to take refuge in seven shelter camps located in Jiribam town. Due to the inability of Jiribam’s health system to meet the demands of the displaced population, there is an increased need for a full complement of medical personnel.
Furthermore, the physicians’ suspension has brought attention to the larger problem of a lack of medical personnel in Manipur’s outlying areas. Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and civil society organizations have exerted considerable pressure on the government to address the physician shortage in district hospitals and community health centers (CHCs). People find it difficult to travel to Imphal for medical care due to the security situation, which increases the need for medical workers in Jiribam.
To lessen the district’s healthcare problem, Dr. O. Sanahanbi ordered physicians and nurses to be stationed at Jiribam CHC. In addition to undermining this endeavor, the three doctors’ subsequent inability to show for duty prevented a vulnerable population from receiving necessary medical care. The government’s swift response in suspending these physicians should serve as a harsh reminder of the obligations associated with providing medical care, particularly during emergencies.
The Jiribam situation highlights how important it is to follow official healthcare recommendations, especially in areas where there has been fighting and displacement. The three doctors have been placed on immediate suspension in an effort to make sure that healthcare providers fulfill their obligations and do not jeopardize patient care, particularly in situations where the health and welfare of the population are at risk.
SOURCE:
SARKARI DOCTOR