Editor,
The news report, ‘HC hauls up Centre, State for poor healthcare’ (ST Feb 3, 2016) needs clarification. The Honorable High Court of Meghalaya had issued notices to the health authorities of the Centre and the State Governments over the ‘pathetic’ health-care scenario provided by the hospitals here, including NEIGRIHMS. This was based on the joint petition filed by the advocates, which also inadvertently mentions that NEIGRIHMS, being a super specialty hospital, does not have any super specialists and patients have to be referred for treatment outside the State of Meghalaya.
With due respect to the esteemed order of the High Court of Meghalaya, I, availing my fundamental right to freedom of free speech and expression as an Indian citizen, would like to mention here that I (and i am sure many others) who have availed the services of the Institute, do not completely agree with what has been mentioned in the report.
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Many patients both from within the State of Meghalaya and from the other states of the North Eastern Region have availed the excellent facilities and services of the existing super-specialty departments here, and have appreciated the services as I have myself referred a number patients from outside Meghalaya (relatives, friends and even strangers, as I work here) to come to NEIGRIHMS for treatment of their various sicknesses. Sometimes, the demand is such that there is a waiting list, depending on the severity of sickness of the patients, attending these departments. Certain super-specialty departments such as Gastroenterology, GI surgery, Nephrology, Burns and Plastic Surgery are yet to be started as there are no qualified professionals who are willing to come and settle here in Shillong. These posts have repeatedly been advertised in the Institute’s website and also in leading news dailies from time to time. I write this letter, not with the intention of defending the Institute, since I work here in the medical college, but because what has been mentioned in the news report is not completely correct and accurate, and this projects the image of the Institute in a negative light. Ground-breaking complicated surgeries, which could not be done in other hospitals, have been conducted here successfully from time to time and also have been highlighted in the past in your esteemed newspaper and other news dailies.
The Institute does strive for the best and will continue to do so, be it in strengthening the infrastructure, recruiting qualified manpower for various departments and also in the field of academics, be it in conducting research workshops, seminars, guest lectures etc. We have had national and foreign guests faculty coming from the leading Institutes in India as well as from international universities. They come to imparting knowledge and training to faculty, resident doctors, nurses, trainees, students and paramedical staff.
Yours etc.,
Sarah Ralte
Shillong