Central security forces in Khurai assaulted an ambulance driver, breaking his hand, and poked a ventilator patient with a stick. Babina Hospital's ambulance also faced stone pelting on the same night. Both incidents have raised serious concerns over the safety of emergency medical services in Manipu
IMPHAL — In a series of deeply disturbing incidents that have rattled the emergency medical services community in Manipur, central security forces allegedly assaulted the driver of a private ambulance near the Khurai area late last night, breaking his hand, and even poked a ventilator patient inside the vehicle with a fibre stick. In a separate but related incident on the same night, an ambulance belonging to Babina Hospital came under stone pelting in the same area, shattering its side glass. Both incidents have sparked serious concern among private ambulance operators and healthcare providers over the safety and unhindered functioning of emergency medical services in the region.
Driver Recounts Harrowing Night on Duty
Speaking at a press meet held today at the Manipur Press Club, Boneyson Wahengbam, the driver of Punshiba Ambulance who sustained injuries in the assault, gave a detailed account of the night's events. He stated that after dropping off a patient on a ventilator at Babina Hospital in Khabeisoi around midnight, he was unable to return due to intense unrest at Khurai Lamlong and waited at Khabeisoi for the situation to ease. While waiting, he received an emergency call to transport another ventilator patient from JNIMS Hospital to Babina Hospital.
As he made his way toward JNIMS, near the SBI office at Khurai Thoidingjam Leikai, he was stopped by central security forces and masked central personnel. When he explained that it was an emergency and that he was going to pick up a patient, the forces did not listen and pulled him out of the ambulance, beating him with fibre sticks and causing injuries to his hand.
The ordeal did not end there. After collecting the patient from JNIMS and transporting them toward Babina Hospital, the central forces stopped the ambulance a second time. On this occasion, they poked the ventilator patient inside the vehicle with a fibre stick and once again assaulted the driver and other occupants. Wahengbam stated that following the incident, his family no longer wants him to continue providing ambulance services, and fear has gripped others engaged in similar work.
Babina Hospital Ambulance Pelted With Stones
In a separate incident on the night of April 17, a Babina Hospital ambulance was on emergency duty after picking up a doctor from Tera for an urgent surgical procedure. The vehicle encountered road blockades at several points in the Khurai Lamlong Bazaar area, put in place by both members of the public and security personnel. Despite navigating through multiple checkpoints under difficult circumstances, the ambulance was stopped shortly after crossing Lamlong Bazaar.
As the vehicle resumed movement following a brief interaction, it came under stone pelting from the roadside, which shattered its side glass. Fortunately, both the doctor and the driver remained unharmed.
Appeals Made to Government and Public
Devashish Thoudam, Founder of Primal Care Health Services, speaking at the press meet, stated that those providing ambulance services are not part of the ongoing conflict in the region and have been working solely to save lives. He stressed that any hindrance to emergency services, even for a few moments, could result in the loss of human life. He noted that just as central armed forces wear uniforms, so do ambulance service providers, and that mutual respect for each other's duties could have prevented the incident.
Devanish appealed to the Chief Minister of Manipur and relevant authorities to ensure the safety of ambulance workers, warning that failing to do so would make it impossible to respond to emergency calls in areas experiencing unrest.
Babina Hospital, in a press release, also expressed deep concern over both incidents, reiterating that its ambulance services operate round-the-clock to provide critical care. The hospital appealed to all sections of society, including security personnel involved in maintaining law and order, to ensure the safe and uninterrupted movement of emergency medical vehicles and healthcare professionals, urging collective responsibility to prevent the recurrence of such incidents.
