Editor,
I was horrified to learn of the attack on Kong Agnes Kharshiing and her colleague Ms A Sangma. That people would take the law into their own hands and get away with the motive to murder and do bodily harm should not be tolerated for a single minute. The arguments for and against Kong Agnes Kharshiing and her activities have been doing the rounds on social media. Whatever the case may be, violence of any kind should be punished severely. I hope that the Government will bring the guilty to justice not just the attackers but the masterminds behind this affair. If the Government takes a courageous stand and brings in the ring leaders whoever they may be, they will have the respect and support of law abiding and truth seeking citizens. Otherwise people will be afraid to speak up for the truth for fear of their lives. This is what causes societies to break down. I pray for the speedy recovery of Ms Kharshiing and her colleague. I do not understand the mentality of men ( assuming that the attackers were men) who would attack defenceless women in such a cowardly manner.
Yours etc.,
Pauline Warjri,
Via email
Perpetrators must be punished
Editor,
Through your esteemed paper I wish to condemn vehemently the cowardly and unpardonable act of deadly attack on Kong Agnes Kharshiing and her colleague in East Jaintia Hills by the coal mafia who are ruling the roost in Meghalaya. In spite of the NGT ban on unscientific coal mining, illegal mining is carried on unabated and if someone raises their voice, they have to become a victim of these criminals for whom there is no respect for even a lady who commands such great respect from the society. I urge the Government to conduct a thorough probe into this incident and bring to book all the perpetrators of the crime and hand them such sentences that nobody will dare to commit such a crime in future.
I pray to God for quick recovery of Kong Agnes and request the attending doctors to leave no stone unturned in rendering the best medical assistance.
Yours etc.,
SL Singhania,
Shillong-1
Health a problematic topic in Meghalaya
Editor,
Health facilities in Meghalaya,especially in the remote villages is pathetic. The imperative today is for people to access health centre, any health care centre even if not the best. Lakhs of people, especially from far flung villages struggle because they do not have access to health centres. Even those who access these centres have a bitter experience. Our villagers suffer much more than others. There are no ambulances and private vehicles tend to over-charge. And it takes hours before they reach the health centres having to drive over the worst roads. On reaching the health centre they don’t find a doctor, which is the case in many hospitals, PHCs, CHCs, etc. Doctors attend only once a week. When the sickness is serious what is the answer from the concerned doctor and the Government? Even if doctors attend to patients their records are maintained in fat registers which are unintelligible. Doctors don’t usually have the time to go over the reports because they are in a hurry to attend to their private clinics.
Another deficiency is that patients don’t get medicines from the hospitals, PHCs, CHCs, etc. They have to buy them from private drug stores at expensive rates. There are some tests in Government hospitals which are more expensive than in private hospitals. Prices of numerous essential drugs have gone up and this hits at the common man hard. As a concerned citizen, I strongly demand from the concerned authorities to revamp the Health Department. These difficulties can be overcome by better planning, supervision and monitoring by the state government.
Many patients from the state spend huge amounts in expensive private hospitals outside the state as there is no proper hospital to treat their ailments here and no modern technology to operate the patient within the state. We are still backward in this sector and we cannot keep pace with other states in India. This has affectedly mostly the poor citizens especially those living from hand to mouth. Who will take care for them? Who will support their financial needs?
Health-based start-ups can handle many problems and connect patients with the health centres in Meghalaya. The Health sector is undergoing a sea change and smart-phones will shortly replace doctors for more than 87% of health problems. We are living in a society where you can get a PIZZA within 20 minutes but you cannot get a doctor in four or five hours. With regards to the study of WHO, India is placed at 112th position among 191 countries of the world. It is shameful for us to know that Bangladesh is ahead of India.
Yours etc,
Batskhem Mawlein
Shillong-2