Imphal, June 22: The RIMS authorities are facing an uphill task to meet the Medical Council of India�s faculty member strength in the face of many Professors applying for voluntary retirement due to the all pervading feeling of insecurity in the premier medical institute of the North East region.

Even as some senior professors are scurrying out of the Institute on getting approval to their retirement application more are likely to follow suit unable to take the risk of working in the pressure-cooker like atmosphere, said RIMS source.

The flight of Professors have cast a doubt on the very survival of the institute in Manipur as there is imminent danger of falling short of the MCI number stipulation particularly in view of no one from outside Manipur preferring to join the institute despite advertisements in national dailies.

On the other hand, the Professors who have left the institute after voluntary retirement are currently working at Tripura and other States, said the source.

Confirming the fear psychosis among the Professors, RIMS Director Prof Fimate confided that volatile law and order situation within the institute is a major factor for the increasing number of retirement applications.

Expressing concern at the high volume of Professors� leaving RIMS and conveying that many retired Professors have preferred Tripura Medical College and other institutes, the Director asserted that all out effort is being made to dissuade the Professors from leaving RIMS.

He resented that threats and intimidation from banned outfits related to monetary demands are compounding the problem as there is no guarantee on security and protection of professors from being abducted as had witnessed in the recent past.

Prof Fimate also regretted that despite intimation to State authorities to take up appropriate security measures no positive response or action had been initiated till date and conveyed of uncertainty gripping the medical institute with the expiry of a deadline (June 15) served by an underground outfit in connection with Rs 15 lakh demand.

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