By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Dec 8: Absence of doctors at PHCs and CHCs in West Jaintia Hills region has compelled an organisation to seek Health Minister, Ampareen Lyngdoh’s intervention into the matter.
HANM on Friday met with the health minister and urged her to depute more doctors at health centres in their respective villages so that they are available when needed. The organisation pointed out that most of the time when people go to the health centres, they are greeted with a reply that the doctor is out as someone from the doctor’s family is unwell, or attending a marriage ceremony, etc.
“We need more doctors; if one is not available another one would be present to attend patients in the health centres’. HANM member, Wyraiwan Sohtun said that the region is troubled by the unavailability of doctors as they can be found only once or twice a week, adding that the lack of doctors in the health centres deprives the people of the area of the health facilities they need.
The organisation inspected the CHCs and PHCs in the region several times and has witnessed the unavailability of doctors in the health centres.
Further, they said complaints from village heads and the residents of the areas about the absence of doctors have compelled them to meet with the health minister and urged her to appoint doctors in the health centres and to ask the doctor posted at Laskein CHC to resume duty at the earliest.