UT News Service | Senapati, August 8: The Inpui Naga Union (INU), Inpui Naga Women’s Union (INWU) and All Inpui Students Union (AISU) in a joint press statement stated that they are shocked and dismayed by the death of (L) Kanpatliu Kamei, w/o Roshan Balang of Puichi village under Haochong Sub-division, Money district due to the systemic failure of the healthcare infrastructure in the state, particularly in the hill districts.
The statement signed by Kumar Inkah, Gen. Secy. of Inpui Naga Union on behalf of the 3 CSOs mentioned that they were perturbed by the careless indifferent attitude of the various Govt Hospitals particularly JNIMS and RIMS including private health are comprising of Imphal Hospital, Raj Medicity and Shija Hospital that are recognised as the topmost medical institutions in the whole state whereas, the 3 bodies condemned to have denied the right to access at those healthcare to a dying pregnant woman.
The apex organisations of the Inpui Naga ask the health department, Govt of Manipur and most specifically to all concerned Hospitals as to why Kanpatliu Kamei was denied admission at JNIMS and RIMS, which are governmentally set up Medical institutions in the state, Imphal Hospital, Raj Medicity and Shija Hospital despite bringing Covid-19 negative certificate and why the state imposed hard restrictions in the name of pandemic lockdown whereby the non Covid-19 patients were made not able to access medical facilities.
Drawing the attention of the Health department and the state Govt to look into the following concerns of the people with sincerity and urgency, the 3 bodies stated to complete the process of the enquiry committee set up by the health department within the stipulated period and bring out all those involved in the gross negligence and immediately suspend all the medical staff, doctors and nurses involved in the gross denial of basic rights. They also asked the enquiry committee to be fair and just in their investigation. Any influence by any vested party in an attempt to protect any person involved in this medical negligence will not be accepted, they asserted adding they are ready to offer all necessary information to the enquiry committee.
They urged the state Govt to expedite and check the various health infrastructures in the hills particularly in the remote districts, Sub-divisions and villages to make necessary arrangements for maternity care in all districts and Sub-divisions with provisions for ambulances during emergency cases, to provide compensation to the bereaved family as Roshan and his wife (L) Kanpatliu Kamei recently came back from Delhi on May 20 who had recently completed their stay at IQC and CQ who left for Makuilongdi, the native village of the deceased. They are from economically weak family, the bodies mentioned. The patient would not have faced such ill fate if there is proper medical facilities within or at nearby villages, they regretted.
There is reportedly one dispensary for about 1,200 population which is no more functional with no medical staff stationed at the village for more than 2 decades now. The nearest District Hospital, located at Senapati is reportedly about 20 km from Makuilongdi village. To this, they draw the attention of the health department to immediately send medical staff at the village dispensary to avoid such fate in future asking the Govt to suspend any official immediately whoever foes not come to their station although posted at the village. They also ask the PWD, Govt of Manipur to maintain road infrastructure to the village from Senapati.
L.D. Samuel Pao, Correspondent from Senapati