‘Tendered apology, assured it won’t happen again’
Morung Express News
Dimapur | October 31
Health & Family Welfare (H&FW) Minister, Nagaland, Imkong L. Imchen almost had the entire doctors’ community of the state H&FW department up in arms. The in-service doctors of the state government were on the brink of a strike over the Minister allegedly ill-treating the Principal Director (PD) of H&FW, Dr. N. Bendang Jamir.
The matter was however settled after the Minister tendered apology to the PD.
As per reports, the matter was initially hushed up but word of mouth accounts of the incident spread followed by an internal memo of the Nagaland In-service Doctors’ Association (NIDA), which got leaked to social media.
While the government as well the H&FW department remained out of reach, doctors speaking on condition of anonymity disclosed it occurred on the morning of October 30 at the Minister’s “residential office” in Kohima.
One of the doctors said that the PD was called by the Medical Minister to his office. “As per what I heard, the Minister was unhappy over delay in departmental ‘files’ reaching his table,” said the doctor. Stating that the Minister was reportedly in a foul mood, the doctor said that after the PD was ushered into the office, the Minister allegedly ill-treated him.
Subsequent to the ill-tempered meeting, the PD recounted the incident to colleagues, which later reached the NIDA. An unhappy NIDA convened an emergency meeting soon after to take up the matter. “We wanted to pursue the matter but the Principal Director didn’t want to blow it up,” commented another doctor.
With the PD unwilling to go public, NIDA executives finally decided to meet the Minister to register their resentment.
At the meeting, the doctor said that the Minister was apologetic. “He apologised at the outset and assured it won’t happen again.” Minister Kaito Aye, MLA Dr. Longri and the Principal Secretary, H&FW were also present at the meeting, who tendered apology on behalf of the government, the doctor added.
On account of the apology, the NIDA decided not to drag the matter further.
“This message was shared with the doctors of DHFW (Directorate of Health & Family Welfare) and deliberated again for any further action. Finally decision was taken that we will accept the apology and end the matter here, as far as the fraternity is concerned,” read the leaked NIDA internal memo.
As per the NIDA internal memo, its members were initially contemplating to demand the Minister’s resignation and going on strike. It stated that the members had to meet twice to take a final call and in both the meetings the PD insisted on not going public. “PD didn’t want to go public and repeatedly requested for the same…”
