The Indian Medical Association, (IMA) Manipur State Branch on Sunday condemned the act of damaging hospital properties, including an oxygen concentrator and other ICU equipment, by family members of a COVID-19 victim at JNIMS Hospital in Imphal.
It is a matter of great shame for the state and insult to the whole medical community, considering the manner in which the hospital properties were vandalised and how a doctor on duty was manhandled at the Covid Ward of JNIMS Hospital on Saturday night following the death of a patient, IMA stated in a release.
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IMA stated that it condemned such a heinous act of violence in hospitals when the state is facing the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic.
The perpetrators of the violence should be given exemplary punishment and booked under the ‘Manipur Medicare Service Personnel and Medicare Service Institutions (Prevention of Violence and Damage to Property) Act 2015’ and ‘Epidemic Disease (Amendment) Ordinance 2020,’ it added.
However, the association condoles the untimely demise of Okram (O) Gypsy Devi and shares the grief of the bereaved family, it stated.
IMA reiterated that the culprits should be booked and punishment be given, failing which the association will take up future course of action.
If such instances of violence against Medicare personnel and institutions continue without any legal actions against those responsible, then the work of the whole Covid care facility will be hindered, it added.