Imphal, September 22: Healthcare services in Manipur were severely disrupted on Monday as doctors launched a statewide strike following the violent assault of Prof. Ch. Pritamkumar Singh, a senior doctor at the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), Imphal.
Prof. Singh, Unit Head of the Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, sustained grievous injuries while on duty and is currently in the Intensive Care Unit. The attack occurred amid protests following the death of 35-year-old Chingshubam Manju Devi, who died due to complications after a caesarean delivery, and came a day after another patient, 50-year-old Yambem Sanjoy, passed away shortly after being readmitted with arm pain.
In response, members of the Teachers’ and Medical Officers’ Association (TAMOA) immediately suspended all hospital services, including outpatient care, emergency services, routine operations, and periodic medical examinations, until authorities identify, arrest, and punish those responsible. Doctors will continue providing care for patients already admitted at RIMS.
The Indian Medical Association (IMA) Manipur State Branch, along with the Imphal Obstetrics & Gynaecology Society and the Association for Health Care Providers of India, strongly condemned the attack, calling it “uncalled for” against a doctor who had strived to save the patient’s life. The associations demanded that RIMS authorities register an FIR under the Manipur Medicare Service Personnel and Medicare Service Institutions (Prevention of Violence and Damage to Property) Act, 2015, which provides for imprisonment up to three years and fines up to ₹50,000.
As part of their protest, doctors across Manipur will shut down all routine services—government, private, and individual clinics—from 6 am on September 23 to 6 am on September 24. All doctors will also wear black badges and hold a sit-in at the Medical Directorate on September 23, while submitting memorandums to the Governor and IMA national headquarters in New Delhi. The associations stressed that violence against healthcare workers jeopardizes patient care and public safety across the state.
