The BJP-led Manipur government on Thursday suspended three specialist doctors with immediate effect “for disobeying government orders and failure to report for duty”.
The trio were transferred to Jiribam Community Health Centre before the model code of conduct for the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections kicked in on March 16 owing to a dearth of specialist doctors in the district, sources said.
The doctors suspended by the health department are Dr Feiga Luckson Gangmei, Dr Oinam Bisu Singh (anaesthesia) and Dr Laishram Oken Singh (plastic surgery). In separate orders, the trio have been asked not to leave their headquarters without obtaining permission from the government.
“The suspension order was issued because they did not pay heed to the government order. Given the prevailing volatile situation in the district, the need for doctors/specialist doctors has only grown,” an official said.
“There was also immense pressure from NGOs and civil society organisations on the government from before to look into the dearth of doctors in both the district hospital and CHCs. People find it difficult to travel to Imphal owing to the security issues triggered by the ongoing ethnic conflict,” the official said.
The situation in Jiribam turned tense following the killing of a Meitei man last Thursday and the subsequent arson involving both Meitei and Kuki communities.
