The ongoing total bandh imposed in Oinamlong area over transfer of doctors from Oinamlong has been called off, following assurances given by district administration with SDO Tousem and the Health department.
Two doctors posted in Oinamlong Primary Health Centre, PHC were recently transferred while one lady doctor is yet to join her duty at the said PHC.
Civil society organisations of Oinamlong have been demanding that the two doctors be allowed to go only when a newly posted doctor joins her duty. As their demands were not allegedly fulfilled, the Oinamlong CSOs imposed a total bandh along NH-37 (Imphal-Jiri road) from 6 am of Monday.
With the total bandh coming into effect, many vehicles were stranded at Oinamlong village; however, no untoward incidents took place.
SDO Tousem and the Health department have agreed to detain one doctor, Dr Dangmei Jianthuaipou who was being transferred at the District hospital Tamenglong until his replacement joins duty.
The joint bodies of Oinamlong warned to take up intensified forms of public demonstrations and agitation if the authorities concerned fail to send the required number of doctors and staff at the PHC by June 27.
They lamented that only one lady doctor identified as Dr Anees Begum is posted in place of two doctors. The transfer order was issued on May 31 but she is yet to join her duty at Oinamlong PHC.
They said that Oinamlong PHC is located along the national highway and is the only health centre for more than 27 villages of the area where numbers of patients of different illnesses come for treatment every day. Even employees of the central projects and security forces are being treated here, they said.
When contacted, chief medical officer Tamenglong Dr G Majachunglu said that only one lady doctor has been posted since May 31 but she has so far refused to join her duty at PHC Oinamlong.
He said that at least three to four doctors are required at PHC Oinamlong as it is located along national highway where heavy traffic passes through and frequent road mishaps take place.
She mentioned that another three doctors posted in Tamenglong district are yet to join their duty. The general transfer and posting order were issued on February 11 and May 31, she added.
The doctors are MO PHC Tousem Dr M Raichandra, MO PHC Tousem Dr P Umakanta Singh and specialist Dr Sh Somorjeet Sharma and they have been posted at district hospital Tamenglong.
