High drama after activists threaten to shut super-specialty hospital
By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Jan 31: NEIGRIHMS Director Dr Nalin Mehta had to tender an apology to the leaders of Hynniewtrep Youth Council (HYC) on Wednesday after they threatened to lock up the hospital alleging that he insulted them.
They had gone to meet him to discuss various issues which the HYC raised. However, within minutes after entering his chamber, they walked out angrily, accusing him of insulting them. They smashed some glasses and thumped the table in the director’s office in a fit of rage.
“We went to meet the director as we got an invitation from him. As per the request, only five of us went. But we were shocked when he accused us of being aggressive and trying to create a law and order problem,” HYC president Roy Kupar Synrem alleged.
When they threatened to close down the hospital, the administrative block of the director was surrounded by police personnel and officials from the district administration.
To avoid any problem, the district administration convinced Dr Mehta to come out of his chamber to meet the HYC leaders and apologise to them for his behaviour.
Synrem said there is now no point meeting the director again as he accused them of being aggressive by referring to the protest which the HYC staged on January 19.
According to him, if the director can treat the HYC members in this manner, then one understands how he treats the common people who go to NEIGHRIMS for treatment.
Synrem said they submitted their four-point charter of demands to the NEIGRIHMS director which include recruitment of nurses through Nursing Officer Recruitment Common Eligibility Test, appointment of a private recruitment agency from the state, 80 per cent reservation for locals in Group C and D posts and one-time policy for the regularisation of services of nurses who have served for many years in the hospital.
The HYC president said they will not meet Dr Mehta anymore.
“We will wait for NEIGRIHMS to fix another date for a meeting to discuss the four-point charter of demands which we submitted,” Synrem said.
He made it clear that they will not tolerate such behaviour from any directors of any central institute operating in Meghalaya, be it NEIGRIHMS, NIT, IIM or IIHM.