MMSA threatens agitation over Govt inaction against IIPH

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaJune 24, 2022

The Meghalaya Medical Services Association (MMSA) has threatened to resort to a series of agitations as a mark of protest against the state government’s indifferent attitude toward its demand for action against the authority of the Indian Institute of Public Health (IIPH).

The decision was taken at an emergent meeting of the state executive committee (SEC) of the MMSA held on Friday.

“The SEC of MMSA…has decided that as the government did not respond to the demands of the MMSA there is no other alternative but to resort to agitational programs which will be informed accordingly,” MMSA general secretary Dr R Pohsnem said in a letter to the Secretary in-charge Health and Family Welfare.

In its letter to the Health Minister James K Sangma on June 1, the MMSA had demanded the state government to set up an inquiry and take appropriate action against the Registrar and Director of Indian Institute of Public Health (IIPH) for falsely portraying the Director of Health Services (MI) Dr Aman War in poor light in the media.

The association had also expressed shock at the alleged decision of the Principal Secretary in-charge Health and Family Welfare, Sampath Kumar to take sides with the IIPH instead of hearing the DHS (MI) side of the story into the May 27-incident at the old NIFT building at Pasteur Hills, Lawmali.

The MMSA president Dr Y Phira in the letter had said, “We have decided to earnestly urge you to consider immediate enquiry into the actions of the Registrar and Director of IIPH, Shillong campus for falsely portraying the DHS (MI) in poor light in the media, who was exercising and discharging his duties as officially vested upon, and take appropriate action.”

The MMSA had also demanded that the IIPH, Shillong campus, be moved out of the current office space provided to them in the already congested office of the Deputy Director Malaria.

According to them, IIPH, Shillong campus, should be having their own office building by now as the MoU had been signed between the government and PHFI way back in 2008.

“The MMSA has further decided that it will take necessary steps if the government fails to take immediate measures to resolve the matter,” the letter warned.  

The MMSA in the letter had also condemned the way the visit of DHS (MI) to old NIFT building on May 27, is being played out in the media by the Director and the Registrar of India Institute of Public Health (IIPH), Shillong campus, and senior government official of the state.

It had stated that the DHS (MI) had sincerely served for 33 years in both rural and urban areas of the state in different capacities until he reached the level of Director of Health Services (MI) without any blemish and always for the welfare of doctors and public as his priority.

The letter had said that the MMSA is aware that IIPH, Shillong campus, was set up to strengthen Public Health System in the state in particular and in the Northeast region in general adding “but the way the Registrar and Director of IIPH, Shillong campus, handled the matter by portraying the DHS (MI) in poor image and, that too in the media, has indeed affected the dignity and prestige of the members of the Meghalaya health services and this will rather disintegrate the health system than meeting the original mandate which IIPH, Shillong campus, is designed to deliver.”

The MMSA had also urged upon the government to revisit the Memorandum of Understanding, which was entered into between the Government of Meghalaya and Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI)

Further, the MMSA had also expressed shock and surprise as to how the Principal Secretary Health & Family Welfare Government of Meghalaya is taking sides with IIPH, Shillong campus, which is a non-governmental institution instead of safeguarding the DHS (MI) who is the controlling officer of the Public Health Institutions in the state of Meghalaya without giving him a chance to present his side of the story, not to mention the way the Registrar of IIPH, Shillong campus, had humiliated the Project Director and Deputy Director of MACS.

“This is demotivating and demoralizing for all medical doctors which in the long run will affect the smooth delivery of health care services in the state,” the MMSA wrote.