Completion of 100-bed hospital in March likely
MAWKYRWAT: Hill State People’s Democratic Party (HSPDP) MLA from Mawkyrwat Renikton L Tongkhar, on Tuesday, said that the government has not been able to appoint a full-fledged District Medical & Health Officer (DM&HO) in South West Khasi Hills (SWKH) because of doctors’ reluctance to work in rural areas.
“The government has tried to post some doctors but they don’t want to come, saying that it is too far and it is a rural area. I have discussed this issue with the health minister and he said that it is very difficult to force the doctors to work in rural areas because some of them even threaten to quit their jobs. This is the main issue but we hope that soon after the completion of the 100-bed hospital, we can solve all the problems,” Tongkhar said, when asked about the demand of the Khasi Students Union (KSU), SWKH, regarding the appointment of DM&HO in the district.
Meanwhile, Tongkhar, along with the executive engineer and SDO, Health Engineering Wing and the contractor on Tuesday visited the much-awaited 100-bed hospital at Mawkyrwat, which has been pending for more than eight years.
“The government is very keen to complete this hospital and the main purpose of this visit is to see whether it is ready or not to be inaugurated. We found that there are works that need to be done and it will be completed very soon,” Tongkhar said.
“I am very happy to inform the people that the chief minister has listened to my request to come and inaugurate this hospital and yesterday (Monday), the Health department has speeded up the proposal to sanction the posts within this hospital and also to sanction the revise estimate so that the contractor can complete the building. This is a very good sign that the government has shown because we have seen that this Community Health Centre (CHC) is very congested and I hope that it will solve all the problems,” the Mawkyrwat MLA said.
Asked when the government will inaugurate the hospital, Tongkhar said that Chief Minister Conrad Sangma wants it to happen, if possible, before the Assembly Session in March.
“But the question now is whether if it can be completed or not before the Assembly Session and, therefore, I have requested the contractor to speed up the work and make it possible,” Tongkhar added.
Reacting to the news item in a local daily in which the KSU, Mawkyrwat Circle, has pointed out that two precious lives were lost last week due to the negligence by some nurses and doctors at the CHC Mawkyrwat, Tongkhar said that he will ask for an official report on the two incidents from the in-charge, DM&HO.
“Such carelessness should not be there in any hospital. Once the patient has been admitted, it is the responsibility of the hospital to give the best services to them,” the Mawkyrwat legislator said.