From Our Correspondent
JOWAI: The Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) Narpuh Circle has locked up the Lumshnong Primary Health Centre in protest against the adamant attitude of the government towards the welfare of the people in the area concerning their various health complaints.
“We have taken the decision to lock the PHC because the government has failed to appoint any doctor for more than eight months now,” KSU Narpuh president, RM Bamon said
“We expected that the government would take people’s health as priority but what we have experienced here has proved that the government is not taking any responsibility of the health of the people,” he said, adding that, had the government been concerned about the health of the people, it would not take so much time to appoint a doctor in the PHC.
“This morning at 9 am around 30 KSU activists came and locked the PHC,” a sources from the Health department said.
The KSU informed that several complaints have been made to the Health Department and also the Health Minister about the PHC functioning without a doctor.
Two weeks ago, the KSU NC has also given a 10-day deadline to the Government for appointment of doctors in the PHC.
“The deadline has ended but there is no sign that the government will help the people of the area and in protest against such adamant attitude of the government we have decided to close down the health centre,” the Union said.
He further stated, “Eight month ago, the PHC was functioning only with one doctor. We met the doctor in November 2011 and he informed us that he faces lots of problems due to heavy work load. The lone doctor in the PHC has to provide treatment to hundreds of patients daily besides that he has to look over the administration and management of the PHC.
“We understand his problems as the PHC has to cover many villages in the area and after this meeting, we had demanded appointment of another doctor. Surprisingly, the government immediately transferred him, instead of appointing another doctor,” the Union said.