Editor,
Apropos the news report, ‘Manpower crisis hits NEIGRIHMS Anaesthesiology Dept’ (ST Jan 3, 2019) I was shocked to see that the NEIGRIHMS PRO so casually mentioning that it’s a common problem of operation theatres being shut down due to the vacation of doctors . The PRO is quoted as saying, ‘it is not new and every year half of the faculty members go on leave at this time and it is a “temporary” situation‘.
While he has mentioned that this happens every year, one needs to recollect that the administration of NEIGRIHMS denied earlier that the vacation of doctors affected the operations and it was due to the lower inflow of patients during the winter that the number of operations were less. To quote this newspaper dated March 29, 2018, ‘NEIGRIHMS denies docs’ vacation affecting service, the same PRO says, “So where is the question of non-availability of anesthesiologist in the Institute for running the emergency and operation theatres? In fact, patient load comes down in winter season and the numbers of operations to some extent come down“
It is appalling that the administration of a central government Institute can issue such false statements to cover its inadequacies. Why doesn’t the Health Ministry/NEIGRIHMS Governing Council or the Honorable High Court take cognizance of such irrational administrative policies and blatant lies?
When will there be a respite for the patients of Northeast India?
Yours etc.,
Megha B. Mahendra
RTI Activist
Via email
Making news for wrong reasons
Editor,
The clarification by the NEIGRIHMS PRO (ST Jan 3, 2019) reeks of arrogance and a couldn’t-care-less attitude. In fact for some time now NEIGRIHMS has ceased to care for the people of the North Eastern states who come to the Institution with much hope. The manpower shortage is evident even at the Emergency section where many a time patients needing immediate care have had to be taken back to another more caring facility. Is this why NEIGRIHMS was created? We have been reading for a while now about the Director’s inability to administer in a humane way and to address the problems of doctors through dialogue. The problem with posting heads of institution into this region who have no idea whatsoever about the people and culture of the seven states and who tend to treat the tribals with disdain, is indeed the reason why Institutions are failing. If the leader is unable to get the cooperation of his team then the problem is not with the team but with the leader. I dare say that the Governing Council of NEIGRIHMS is also to be held responsible for the downslide of this medical institute.
Yours etc.,
N Sawkmie,
Via email
Menace of “roadside-throw culture”
Editor,
It is appalling to witness how cleanliness is deteriorating from day to day in our lovely State. Shillong for one has become a dirty capital where garbage is seen in every nook and corner. But it is evident that the invasion of garbage has gone beyond the city to the outskirts and to other townships. While travelling from Shillong to Sohra, I was deeply depressed by the sight of litter on both sides of the road up to Sohra. It is evident that the garbage did not come there on its own nor are the residents of those villages responsible for this. The littering is done by tourists, picnickers and passers-by who without any conscience throw chips packets, plastic bottles and other wastes from their passing vehicles. This is what we can call a “roadside-throw culture” which demonstrates how uncivilized and how thoughtless we are. This is a dangerous culture which is rapidly creeping into our society and adopted by children as well as adults. The manner this culture is growing among us, leaves us with no doubt that sooner or later our whole state will become a garbage dump.
I believe this culture cannot be halted by force of law, for that would be an impossible task to do. Instead, our people must become more conscious about cleanliness and acquire more civic sense. Have we ever reflected that when we litter our roadsides we are destroying our own land and we are disfiguring it. At the same time, we project to the outside world a poor image of ourselves. Let us not forget that “people judge us by the cleanliness of our towns and villages.” I would humbly appeal to all citizens to become sensitive to the problem of pollution. Keep in mind that when we litter our roadsides or anywhere for that matter, we are adding to global pollution and endangering the health of our children and grand-children.
I would appeal to the State Transport Department to enforce a rule that every vehicle (private and public) should have some sort of dustbin even a simple bag and that drivers should instruct the passengers to throw the garbage into these bags and not fling them outside into the roadsides. If this is done, I am confident that we can get rid of the “roadside-throw culture” which has become a menace in our society.
Yours etc.,
B Mawrie sdb,
Via email