Mawkyrwat: The Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) Lawbah Border Area Circle conducted an inspection at the Mawsynram Community Health Centre (CHC) in East Khasi Hills on Monday.
During the inspection, the union discovered that waste was being indiscriminately dumped within the hospital campus.
The president of the KSU Lawbah Border Area Circle, Samborlang Shabong informed that the union had conducted the inspection after receiving complaints stating that the CHC which is meant for the welfare of the people might in turn affect the health of patients due to the disregard for proper hygiene.
“During the inspection, we found that all the complaints were true. Waste generated from the CHC including plastics, used and expired medicine and medical waste were dumped within the hospital campus,” Shabong said.
“We also found that the mortuary room was littered with used needles and bottles. This shows that the carelessness of the CHC will prove hazardous to the people and is a threat to the health and welfare of the patients,” Shabong said.
Shabong also informed that members of the union met the doctor in charge of the CHC, N Diengdoh who told them that he had already informed the authorities at the Health Department about the lack of proper garbage bins in the CHC.
“We asked for garbage bins to be used for the proper dumping of waste, but due to the inability of the department to remedy this issue, we were left with no other choice but to dump the waste within the premises,” Diengdoh said.  “With all this in mind, the Health Depatment should make it a top priority to provide proper garbage bins to the CHC at the earliest so that it will not affect the health and welfare of the people,” Shabong said.
He also informed that the union has requested the local MLA and MDC to take up the matter with the government adding that the union will take stern action if the public representatives and government fail to remedy the issue.
