By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: Opposition Leader Mukul Sangma has asked the state government to conduct a study on the skin disease in certain pockets of Garo Hills as the areas affected are close to Bangladesh.
During the question hour on Tuesday, Mahendraganj MLA Dikkanchi D Shira brought the issue to the notice of the House.
In response, Health and Family Welfare Minister AL Hek denied any outbreak of skin disease affecting a large number of people in Mahendraganj in South West Garo Hills district.
Answering a supplementary question, Hek said skin diseases were prevalent in the area before and there was no outbreak of the disease following the recent flood in the area.
The opposition leader said there is a need to ascertain the cause of such disease in the area and suggested the government constitute a team of experts to visit the area and carry out necessary investigation. ) “There can be many reasons. People from nearby Bangladesh and North Bengal suffer from arsenic poisoning. We have serious health problems and there is a need to study the skin disease involving experts from NEIGRIHMS, WHO and other institutions”, Sangma said.
Hek, while assuring that the suggestion would be examined, further said that changing climate conditions is also one of the reasons for the skin disease in the area.
Hek informed that soon after the matter was brought to the knowledge of the government, a team of doctors and other officials had visited Mahendraganj Community Health Centre and surrounding areas to verify the reports.
The doctors found that the skin infection was endemic in nature and there was no increase in the number of cases as the trend has been constant as indicated by the OPD records.
