JOWAI, April 24: Four month after it was inaugurated by Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma with much fanfare, the Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Hospital in Panaliar, Jowai, is yet to open its doors to the public.
Sangma had inaugurated the hospital on December 3 last year but the government did not appoint any senior or junior medical officers, leading to outrage among citizens who fell that the inauguration ahead of the elections in the state was an attempt to woo the voters of Jaintia Hills.
Some sections of people observed that the hospital was inaugurated in a hurry to save NPP’s Jowai MLA, Wailadmiki Shylla from embarrassment ahead of the polls.
Seeking to know the fate of the hospital, the West Jaintia Hills unit of HITO on Monday submitted a memorandum to District Medical and Health Officer (DMHO), Khrawkupar Chyne Ajar expressing their concern over the hospital remaining non-functional even four months after its inauguration.
The DMHO assured the organisation that the posts of doctors, nurses and other staff for the hospital have already been sanctioned and that the hospital would start functioning in May.
The DMHO also assured that patients who are asked to undergo diagnostic tests like X-ray, ultrasound, MRI and CT scan from private clinics and hospitals would be provided with reimbursement by the government.
“The patients will need to submit receipt and cash memos to claim the reimbursement through MHIS,” the official said, while adding that reimbursement would also be provided against purchase of medicines from outside.
