Shillong, Apr 4: The Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) has asked the state government to immediately intervene into the problems faced by the doctors of the NEIGRIHMS to ensure that patients do not suffer.

The demand came following the decision of the North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences-Resident Doctors’ Association (NRDA) to call for an indefinite total shutdown of services from Thursday.

The resident doctors are demanding the immediate removal of the incumbent Director of the institute Dr DM Thapa, who they alleged was responsible for the resignations by many doctors due to his autocratic practices.

“The state government should take necessary steps to immediately address and resolve the problems otherwise the patients will be the worst sufferers if doctors of this institute continue to strike,” KSU chief Lamborstarwell Marngar said.

It is a matter of serious concern that doctors of this prestigious institute are resigning, Marngar told reporters at the sidelines of a meeting held in the city here to observe the Khasi National Awakening Day.

He also slammed the state government for not showing any seriousness in addressing the various problems faced by the institute despite of repeated requests made by the Union on several occasions in the past.

“We have also taken up the same with the Members of Parliament from the state but nothing was done,” he said.

The KSU chief further warned that the Union may be compelled to take stern action if the state government continues to be adamant on this issue in the interest of the patients especially those coming from poor families.

In a 13-points letter shot to the Secretary, Health Nirman Bhawan, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Wednesday, the NRDA has maintained that the strike will continue until the incumbent director is removed to save this institute from further devastation.

President of the association Dr Synrang Batngen Warjri said that since the joining of the director there has been de-recognition of PG seats in the Department of Anaesthesia, General Surgery, Radiology, and General Medicine due to administrative lack of will.

According to him, some of the seats have been recognized later and also through Court but only after losing few batches.

The NRDA chief alleged that faculties are resigning from various departments including department of medical oncology, anaesthesia, gynaecology and obstetrics, paediatric, radiology, orthopaedics.

“NEIGRIHMS is already running with acute shortage faculty and this constant resigning of faculty due to administrative letdown under the incumbent director is leading to crisis like situation in this institute which affecting the people of North East India,” he said.