Six teams of doctors to violence-hit Manipur to support public health efforts

New Delhi: Amidst the ongoing violence between various communities, predominantly between the ethnic Meitei and Kuki communities in Manipur, the Union Health Ministry has deployed several teams of doctors to the state under the directions of the Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya. 

Six teams, with four doctors each specialising in surgery, psychiatry, medicine, obs and gynaecology, paediatrics, urology and emergency care, will support the state in providing health facilities that have been adversely impacted due to the ongoing strife, a ministry statement said on Wednesday.

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The teams consist of doctors from AIIMS-Kalyani, AIIMS-Guwahati and Northeastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS)-Shillong, it said. 

Nearly a month back, the state witnessed violent clashes, which have left around 70 people dead, 35,000 displaced, and destroyed over 1,700 houses. On May 3, the violence erupted after people from the tribal community protested against the government's plan to put the dominant Meitei community under Scheduled Tribe, which they alleged is not right as the Meitei community already has significant advantages in the state. 

Weapons and ammunition were looted from police stations, and the clashes reportedly turned more violent. The Kukis is one of the larger tribal communities in Manipur and are predominantly Christian, and the dominant Meiteis are mostly Hindus. A Tribal Solidarity March was organised in the hill districts to protest against the Meitei community's demand for Scheduled Tribe status. 

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights reflected on the need for the Indian government to respond to the situation quickly, including by investigating and addressing root causes of the violence in line with their international human rights obligations. 

 After a relative lull for over a fortnight, the state witnessed a sudden spurt in clashes and gunfights on Sunday, reports the PTI. 

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