TURA, MAR 25: Poor infrastructure and lack of specialists in health care centres across Garo hills is an ugly reality which challenges the state government for enhancing health care services in the state.
All the five districts of Garo hills can boost of health care facilities like – Civil Hospitals, Community Health Centres (CHCs), Primary Health Centres (PHCs), Sub-Centres, etc.
However, a majority of the health care centres have neither specialist doctors, nor required technical infrastructures, and adequate manpower and professionals.
The established government-run-hospital is the Tura Civil Hospital in West Garo Hills, which has specialists in Orthopaedic, Surgery, Medicine, Eye, ENT, Gynecology, Anesthesia, Pediatrician, etc.
With not much technical infrastructure and shortcomings, the hospital has been catering to the needs of patients from different parts of Garo hills, referred from Williamnagar Civil Hospital, Baghmara Civil Hospital, CHCs, and PHCs from across Garo hills.
The Baghmara Civil Hospital, established in 2010 does not have a single specialist doctor. It also lack basic facilities like X-ray, ECG and Sonography. Not a single hospital in Garo hills has a CT-scan.
In 2006, a CT scan machine was installed at Tura Civil Hospital, which has remained non-functional till date. It is a matter of grave concerns, that Tura being the second most important town after the state capital Shillong, still have to function with lapses in technical infrastructure.
Most patients from rural areas, who avail health care services from government institutions, face a major problem in terms of availability of medicine. There is no dearth in the purchase of medicine, if one takes a look at the government record. However, these medicines are dispatched to Garo hills, while it is on the verge of expiry.
In most PHCs and CHCs, there is lack of rooms and supply of water.
Most of the buildings have become old and some even in complete shambles. In the CHCs, there are requirement of specialists doctor, but in at least 15 such centres, there are no specialists. Most of the PHCs function with a single MBBS doctor and an AYUSH doctor.
In CHCs, there are five doctors to cater to the need of the patients, apart from nurses and paramedic staffs. In different parts of Garo hills doctors have a common problem of accommodation facilities within the campus, which has however, not dithered their spirit, enthusiasm and commitment to their profession.
There is a dedicated Child and Maternity Hospital in Garo hills, which is located at Tura. To add to the worries of the health care administration, it can be noted that South Garo hills is a classic case, where there is no Medical Superintendent and District Medical and Health Officer (DM&HO).
An official report indicates that there is a shortage of over 3600 nurses and nearly 300 specialist doctors in the government run health care centres across Meghalaya, of which most of the posts for specialist doctors are lying vacant in Garo hills.
Ampati, a new district created in 2012 has come up with a Civil Hospital, which is set for inauguration. There is a fear that this hospital will also not be able to induct specialist doctors. Most locals, who complete their UG & PG courses in medical studies, opt to work outside the state, as the government salary package seems to be not attractive coupled with poor facilities.
A doctor, working in a remote health care centre, who did not wished to be named said, “Supplies of medicine, which are provided to us is not enough as we have huge patients load. Other requirements like gloves, IV sets, IV Cannulas, Sutures are also in short supply”.
He suggested that doctors should be taken in confidence before the supplies are made to the PHCs, CHCs, so that necessary medicines and peripherals can be made available, instead of supplying what the higher up in the administration decides.
The MBBS doctor also claims that in the health centre, in absence of a specialist doctors they have to wear the shoes of surgeon, obstetrician, pediatrician etc and cater to the need of the poor patients.
Another doctor says that upgraded facilities in lab and hospital infrastructure would be a great help for the doctors, who are willing to dedicate their services in remote areas of Garo hills.
Recently, Meghalaya legislative assembly Speaker Abu Taheer Mondal had directed the health department to take corrective steps to ensure that people do not suffer due to shortage of professionals.
Health minister AL Hek, when asked on the shortcomings in the floor of the assembly admitted that there is a need to induct nurses, specialist doctors, medical officers, health workers and paramedics. When pointed on the lapses in government health care institutions in Garo hills, Hek said that government has been committed to address the problems.
Hek said that the department would take all possible steps to ensure that students who pursue MBBS studies under the State quota return back to the state.
Several citizens organisation have submitted memorandums to the government in the past two years seeking redressal of the health care facilities, though nothing much has been addressed.
Activist Samgar Sangma suggests government to rope in specialist doctors and appoint them on a contract basis with an attractive package and facilities, so that they will be willing to serve in the remote areas of Garo hills. He also says that government should ensure that adequate facilities are provided, so that efficient discharge of service will reach to the people.
Lamenting on the lack of specialists in Garo hills, activist Chuba Marak from Baghmara said, “People come to the hospital with various kinds of ailments. Therefore, we need doctors who are specialized in treating these ailments”. He also pointed on the lack of medicine stocks in the government run health care centres.
Marak also point on the acute shortage of manpower in premier hospitals at Baghmara and Williamnagar, while stating that overall facilities for laboratories and blood banks should be enhanced.-From Our Correspondent
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