By Our Reporter
Shillong: Considering the economic condition of the poor people in the Meghalaya, Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma has asked the medical fraternity to be sensitive to the socio-economic background of patients before prescribing medicines to them.
The Chief Minister was delivering the inaugural address at a foundation stone laying function for the construction of the new building of the 400-bedded Ganesh Das Hospital and inauguration of the newly installed 6-bedded Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of the Hospital at the hospital’s premises at Lawmali here on Friday.
To improve the health scenario in the state, Dr Sangma urged the medical fraternity to consider the socio economic background of the patients while prescribing medicines to them. He called upon doctors not to be driven by a profit motive and recommend expensive medicines marketed by pharmaceutical companies when affordable medicines are available in the market.
“Patients are not supposed to purchase medicines from outside as the same is being provided by the government in hospitals,” Dr Sangma stated.
Further, Dr Sangma informed that the State Government would soon embark on the ambitious Universal Health Insurance Scheme would be funded under the State Plan.
The Chief Minister also stated that health indicators in Meghalaya show that the Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) and the Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) is on the higher side, which is a clear indication that the health delivery system in the State needs vast improvement particularly in terms of mother and child health care.
“We need to bring down IMR and MMR in the State. The government is taking news initiatives to address deficiencies in health sector such as non-availability of doctors in Community Health Centres and Public Health Centres,”
Sangma said the government is committed to improving the health delivery system in the state by providing better infrastructure and also in ensuring easy access to health services for the people particularly those in rural areas.
While expressing concern at the congestion of patients in the Ganesh Das Hospital, Dr Sangma said the efforts of the Government to encourage institutional delivery to expecting mothers will be in vain as long as there is a constraint in accommodation.
With the completion of the new hospital building, there will be more space for patients particularly expectant mothers and children thus reducing the Maternal Mortality Rate and Infant Mortality Rate which is still very alarming in the state.
The estimated cost of construction of the new building at Ganesh Das Hospital annexe is Rs 6.5 crore. Dr Sangma also inaugurated the newly installed Rs 2.31-crore six-bedded intensive care unit (ICU) of the Hospital and the children’s park at the hospital premises.
It may be mentioned that as the programme falls in the Platinum Jubilee Year of Ganesh Das Hospital, the Ganesh Das Hospital Management Society presented awards to 3 staff of the Hospital in recognition of their dedicated service. Paulus Wahlang (ward boy), Wanialam Basaiawmoit (sanitary inspector) and KB Singh (peon) were recognised for their services.
Others who spoke on the occasion were Deputy Chief Minister in charge Health department, Rowell Lyngdoh, Minister GAD and also local MLA AL Hek, Parliamentary Secretary Health Department, PW Khongjee and Chief Secretary, WMS Pariat.