As a part of the All Manipur Health Services Doctor's Association’s relay hunger strike which kicked off on November 26 in Imphal, doctors under CMO Kangpokpi also held a relay hunger strike on Monday at the campus of the District Hospital Kangpokpi.
Speaking to the media, Dr Paotinlal Haokip, AMHSDA executive member, said that appeals, representations, personal meetings with CM, ministers, etc for more than two years had been unfruitful.
The democratic forms of agitations such as black badge for five days, sit-in-protest in all 16 districts of the state, and even suspension of the proposed one-day OPD closure on November 19 have no positive outcome, leading to such an extreme stir, the doctor said.
He further said that the relay hunger strike will be followed by mass casual leave.
The relay hunger strike will be conducted by all 16 districts with three districts each at a time.
On Monday, the relay hunger strike was held at Kangpokpi, Noney, and Kakching. On November 29, it will be held at Senapati, Ukhrul, and Jiribam and on November 30, it will be held at Churachandpur, Tamenglong, and Pherzawl while on December 1 at Imphal East, Imphal West, and Chandel and On December 2, it will be held at Thoubal, Tengnoupal, Kamjong, and Bishnupur.
According to Dr Lolee P Mao, General Secretary of the All Manipur Health Services Doctor's Association, the first round of negotiation was held on November 14, 2022, at the Office Chamber of the Addl. Chief Secretary, Health & Family Welfare Services in the presence of Director, Health Services representing Manipur Government with AMHSDA President and General Secretary along with AMHSDA Working Committee where in it agreed to put up time bound promotion, raising of superannuation age to 65 years as an administrative post for Specialists as well as non-Specialists Doctors, NPA as per Central 7th Pay Commission w.e.f. January 1, 2016 and major Amendment of proposed 2020 MHS Rules out of the eight demands put forth.
The second round of talks was held in the Conference Hall of the Minister, Health & Family Welfare Services, Addl. Chief Secretary represented by the Deputy Secretary of Health and family welfare Services and Director, Health Services as Manipur Government Representatives with AMHSDA President, General Secretary, Advisor and AMHSDA Working Committee on November 18, 2022 where both sides, considering the importance of the Sangai Festival, agreed not to disrupt it and after assuring the AMHSDA representatives by Minister to fulfil the demands in due course, AMHSDA suspended the closure of OPDs on November 19.
However, the AMHSDA, during its emergency general body meeting on November 22 at the Amity Hall, Adimjati, Khongnang Ani Karak, resolved that the two years delay in delivering and addressing the doctors basic and fundamental rights shall be taken as denial of delivering justice.
It also considered the Home Department Order No. H-106/5/2020-HD-HD, the 17th Nov., 2022 terming the AMHSDA genuine demands as unreasonable, unbecoming and its peaceful demonstration and democratic activities as illegal as very serious, threatening and demeaning the doctors as a whole and therefore, resolved to resume and intensify its ongoing agitation from November 26.
It then resolved to launch a relay hunger strike to be followed by mass casual leave.
