Manipur’s JNIMS resident doctors to boycott emergency services from May 26

Resident doctors at Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences (JNIMS) in Manipur have announced a boycott of emergency services starting 9 am on Monday, May 26. This follows their ongoing strike against an increased postgraduate course fee.

The protest began with a boycott of routine services from May 21 and is in response to the administration’s failure to revert the fee hike. The tuition fee for the three-year postgraduate course was raised from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 3 lakhs starting with the October 2022 batch, which the Resident Doctors’ Association (RDA) considers unjust.

After the extended deadline of five days to restore the original fee structure expired without any resolution, the RDA held a general body meeting of all postgraduate doctors and unanimously decided to escalate the protest by including emergency services in the boycott.

The RDA emphasised their awareness of the healthcare needs in Manipur and assured that despite the strike, they remain committed to providing necessary care to those in urgent need.

The strike will continue until the original fee structure is reinstated, with no indication yet on when normal services will resume.