Manipur floods: JNIMS orders patient evacuation; govt offices inundated, medical services hit

IMPHAL: State-run Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences (JNIMS) in Manipur ordered immediate evacuation of patients on Tuesday evening, following a sudden increase in floodwaters in and around the hospital complex.JNIMS medical superintendent Dr Kh Lokeshwar issued a circular that said, “all patients admitted in different wards of JNIMS should be evacuated with immediate effect. No new admission will be done untill further notice.”The breaching of Iril River at Kshetri Awang Leikai in Imphal East has resulted in flooding in several parts of the hospital complex, surrounding areas, and approach roads. Key govt institutions, including Imphal East DC office, Porompat police station, among others, have also been inundated, causing significant challenges for the administration.This is the second time in four months that JNIMS, a key medical institution for the state, was inundated and medical services were disrupted.Meanwhile, flood water receded to some extent in Thoubal district, though thousands of houses and infrastructures remain submerged.