Don't target us : JNIMS docs

By Our Staff Reporter
IMPHAL, Mar 6 :Doctors of Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences (JNIMS), Porompat staged a sit-in protest against harassment meted out to the medical fraternity by patient parties in rare cases of deaths related to childbirth or other cases.
The protest was staged today in front of JNIMS Medical Superintendent Office from 10 am till noon under the banner "Sit-in protest against the harassment of medical fraternity".
According to the protesting doctors, recently a woman from Yairipok Yambem  passed away shortly after childbirth.  The patient party allegedly blamed the doctors and demanded monetary compensation for the death.
Decrying such acts of harassment on the medical fraternity, the JNIMS doctors wielded placards which read "Stop false allegation", "Stop harassment", "Stop extortion" and  "Need stress free working environment" among others, at the protest.
Speaking by the sideline of the protest, Professor Dr Nandeibam Kameshwor, Head of Department of Pediatrics, JNIMS, stated that despite any amount of progress in medical science, death cannot be avoided according to a patient's disease. Maternal mortality (deaths due to complications during pregnancy or childbirth) occurs in all countries of the world. However, in India, Manipur and Kerala are the safest States for expecting mothers to give birth, he claimed.
He also shared that cases of harassment and unmanageable demands for compensation greatly affects the morale of doctors and students of medicine studying at the Institute.
Dr Nandeibam Kameshwor appealed to the public to stop blaming the doctor concerned in case of death during childbirth or while performing surgery for some other disease. Further urging the people to refrain from demanding compensation for such cases, he added that there will be room for compensation if the doctor is found guilty of any wrongdoing after a lawful investigation.
Echoing similar appeals to the public, Dr Matouleibi, Senior Resident, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, JNIMS added that harassment and intimidation to the medical fraternity causes a lot of stress and distress to the doctors.
She made an appeal to allow the doctors to carry out their duties without any fear of harassment.