Doctors cease work in Meghalaya

Shillong : Medical services in the government-run hospitals in Garo Hills region in western Meghalaya were hit Thursday as doctors struck work to protest "wrongful detention" of a medic by the police.

Emergency services in the Tura Civil Hospital and other health centres came to a standstill due to the 24-hour cease-work sponsored by the Meghalaya Medical Service Association (MMSA) in the five districts of Garo Hills region.

The work stoppage began at 9 a.m. Thursday morning and will end at 9 a.m. Friday.

"The 24-hour cease-work has brought the entire government-run medical services to a standstill in Garo Hills as over 160 government doctors are on cease-work to protest the wrongful detention to one of our members by the police," MMSA general secretary Aman War, told IANS.

However, authorities in the Tura Civil Hospital have arranged doctors to attend emergency cases in the hospital.

"Most of the doctors who are MMSA members did not attend hospital Thursday, but we have made arrangements to ensure that the emergency facility in the hospital is not affected," Tura Civil Hospital Superintendent G.K. Marak said.

On Tuesday, a doctor in charge of Chokpot primary health centre in South Garo Hills, W.N.Sangma, was detained for not allowing police personnel to park their vehicles in the hospital premises.

The police personnel handcuffed and detained the doctor in Chokpot police station without any instruction from senior officials.

The Meghalaya government has ordered a magisterial inquiry, headed by Additional District Magistrate A.M. Sangma, into the wrongful detention of the doctor.

"The inquiry officer has been given 15 days to probe into the police action against the doctor," David Sangma, deputy commissioner of South Garo Gills district, said.

Meanwhile, the MMSA warned of intensifying agitation if the government fails to punish the police personnel by Friday.

"If the government fails to take stern action against erring police personnel, we will launch a series of agitations across Meghalaya to force the government to punish them," Aman War said.