By The Hindu Bureau
Copyright thehindu
Healthcare services were affected in Manipur’s capital, Imphal, on Monday (September 22, 2025) after all services, including the outpatient department, emergency, and routine surgeries at the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS), were shut down to protest the assault of a doctor by a mob on Sunday.
The State units of the Indian Medical Association and the Association for Healthcare Providers of India, the Imphal Obstetrics and Gynaecology Society, and other medical bodies extended support to the strike called by the Teachers’ and Medical Officers’ Association (TAMOA) of RIMS.
These organisations announced a 24-hour suspension of all operations, including diagnostic services, across government and private hospitals, individual clinics, and testing centres from 6 a.m. on September 23 to 6 a.m. on September 24.
They threatened to extend their protests until the authorities identify, arrest, and punish the individuals responsible for attacking a senior RIMS doctor, and ensure a safe working environment for healthcare professionals.
The crisis at RIMS revolved around the death of Yambem Sanjoy, a 50-year-old man from Bamon Kampu in the Imphal East district, who died soon after being discharged on Saturday night. Subsequently, a mob assaulted the doctor who handled the patient and vandalised the hospital, including the room of the Medical Superintendent.
During the ruckus, a 35-year-old woman identified as Chingshubam Ongbi Manju died of childbirth complications in the intensive care unit of the RIMS. Another group of people, including members of her family and local clubs, assaulted a second doctor and went on the rampage in the hospital.
“Although all services have been shut down, the diagnosis and treatment of patients already admitted to the RIMS continue,” a TAMOA member clarified, asserting that the association will lodge police complaints against the assailants and take up legal action against them.
Some of Manipur’s civil society organisations, including the Youth Forum for Protection of Human Rights, have criticised the doctors’ strike and the alleged medical negligence at RIMS, which they claimed led to the death of five people in the past few weeks.
