Activists of the influential Khasi Students Union (KSU) demanding the removal of the director of the North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (Neigrihms), Shillong on May 13, locked his office, officials said.

KSU president Lambokstar Marngar said the KSU protested at the administrative block of the institute demanding immediate removal of the director D M Thappa from his post following a stand-off between him and the cardiology department head in the institute which affected surgeries. "The government should immediately remove him from his post. He is playing with the lives of patients and we cannot allow this institute to accommodate murderers," Marngar told PTI.

After the protesters left, a magistrate and senior police officials reached the institute to open the office of the director which was locked by the protesters. Superintendent of Police, City, Steve Rynjah said the police have taken suo moto action in this regard and security cover of Neigrihms has been upped.

"We have taken a suo moto action in this case. We have tightened security in and around the premises," Rynjah said. While no FIR was lodged, the SP said the police has launched an investigation into the matter and the people involved in the protests have been identified. Last week, the Meghalaya High Court, hearing an PIL had directed the director and head of the department of cardiology to resolve their differences amicably and to ensure that patient requiring surgeries are not affected.

On May 9, additional chief secretary R V Suchiang chaired a tri-partite meeting which was attended by Union Health Ministry joint secretary Gayatri Mishra, Neigrihms director Dr D M Thappa and Cardiology department head Dr Animesh Mishra and representatives from the Amrit pharmacy. Three surgeries were performed on Friday last.

The Meghalaya High Court had also directed the Neigrihms authorities to work out a formula and ensure surgeries in the cardiology department is resumed and to come up with long term solutions so that patients are not affected. Neigrihms authorities had seized stents worth Rs 20 lakh from a private vendor under director's order that stents should be procured from AMRIT pharmacy and not from private suppliers as the cost is higher.

According to the cardiology department head, AMRIT pharmacy does not have readily available stocks of stents meant for heart surgeries. Following the seizure of stents from a private vendor, about 34 surgeries were delayed and a 52 year-old patient had died last week due to the non-availability of the surgical materials, according to officials at the institute. Neigrihms spokesperson Dr K Pandita was not available for comments.