Shillong, Dec 8: Navigating kilometers of steep rugged and narrow winding paths with a heavy load on their back is still a reality for as many as 79 inaccessible villages in Meghalaya and for a section of villagers the task is more challenging, especially during a health emergency when they have to carry the sick on their back and scurry to the nearest health facility or in some places where exists at least a motorable road.
Connecting as many as 79 inaccessible villages to motor-able roads, especially during a health emergency are a group of human beings tagged as human ambulances and the State government is keen to recognise their services and provide them monetary assistance.
Narrating about her visit to Mawkyrwang village just 15-16 km away from proper Mawkyrwat, West Khasi Hills District to inaugurate a health sub-centre the construction of which took 14 years to complete, Health Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh said that it took her two and a half hours walk down to reach the village and almost three hours plus to walk back.
She said, “Till today a pregnant women, a sick citizen irrespective of age or gender will have to be taken up that far through a very difficult steep terrain by another person carrying them in a traditional basket at the back and I was surprised to see that this practice unfortunately still occurs because of the inability of the health services to reach such a village”.
“These individuals who carry the sick do it out of yeoman service as they feel responsible to save a life without taking one paisa and I feel these important interventions in the effort to save life in the villages and bring them to the nearest health facility has to be recognised,” she added.
Informing that she has already had a word with Chief Minister Conrad k Sangma and Principal Health Secretary, Sampath Kumar, she said, “All are in agreement whenever such human ambulances are in operation we must assign a special monetary assistance to these individuals who do these to save a life and I look forward to Mawkyrwang sub centre getting operational at the earliest”.
The Health Minister said, “The sub-centre that got completed after 14 years of construction, was first identified by former late MLA Rowell Lyngdoh and they were unable to complete the construction till recent days. You can see building a sub-centre is also a challenge”.
“We need to partner with these village heads and workers to ensure that we provide the health sub-centres in these areas to facilitate better health services to people,” she added.