Imphal – Medical employees serving under the Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Imphal East district, staged a sit-in protest on Thursday, appealing for relief from repeated monetary demands allegedly made by various organisations, including civil society bodies and unlawful armed groups.

The protest, held at SAYC ground, Porompat, Soibam Leikai, was joined by doctors, nurses, laboratory technicians, ANMs, health workers and other staff who said the growing financial burden had become increasingly difficult to bear alongside their household expenses.

According to health personnel and a senior official associated with the CMO office, annual monetary demands and donations have reportedly increased from around Rs.4–5 lakh before the outbreak of violence on 3 May 2023 to approximately Rs.16–17 lakh since the conflict began.

Khagembam Bikramjit Singh, Pharmacist (Allopathy) and Store-in-charge of the Non-Communicable Disease Cell, Imphal East, told Waari Singbul that medical teams are routinely deployed at sporting events, cultural programmes and melas held at various venues including Khuman Lampak Sports Complex, Hapta Kangjeibung and City Convention Centre. “These additional duties do not bring extra remuneration”, he said.

Employees speaking on condition of anonymity said demands were being made both at the CMO office and directly to individual health centres. Consequently, staff at peripheral facilities may have to contribute towards demands raised at the district level as well as separate demands made to their respective workplaces.

They said the repeated demands were particularly burdensome for lower-paid employees, including ANMs, health workers, staff nurses and laboratory technicians, whose salaries leave limited room for additional expenses.

A senior official acknowledged the sharp increase in the financial burden and said employees had approached the CMO office with a proposal to hold the protest. The office recommended the proposal, recognising their concerns as reasonable.
The official also expressed concern about the security of medical personnel, many of whom are women, particularly at peripheral health facilities where staff may be vulnerable to intimidation and disruption.

Protesters displayed placards appealing to organisations not to disturb medical staff or impose unbearable monetary demands on health offices. The allegations of coercion and unlawful demands require appropriate investigation. The employees’ protest, however, highlights the hardship faced by a public health workforce already carrying demanding responsibilities, including additional duties during public events.

Their appeal is for the authorities to protect medical personnel from coercion and ensure they can perform their duties without repeated financial pressure. Safeguarding healthcare workers is not merely an employment concern; it is essential to protecting the patients and communities who depend on them.

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