By Pynshaibha Latam
Every year, thousands of people from villages travel to cities in search of better medical treatment. Meghalaya, with its serene landscapes and close-knit rural communities, often sees patients from villages traveling to major hospitals in Shillong, such as NEIGRIHMS (North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences), Nazareth Hospital, Civil Hospital, and Bethany Hospital and many others, in search of quality medical care. These hospitals, known for their advanced facilities and skilled medical staff, serve as crucial centers for treatment. However, many patients from rural areas face challenges in finding out the complex hospital systems due to language barriers and unfamiliar surroundings.
Challenges faced by rural patients?
When villagers arrive at these large hospitals, they often find themselves lost in long corridors, unable to read signs, understand medical jargon, or even locate the right department. The absence of translators or hospital guides makes it difficult for them to register, consult doctors, or follow treatment instructions. Many of these patients and their families feel anxious and helpless, adding emotional stress to their already fragile health conditions.
Most big hospitals are designed with different departments spread across multiple floors and sections. While urban patients may be accustomed to navigating these spaces, villagers many of whom are visiting such large institutions for the first time—face numerous challenges:
Language Barrier: Hospital signs and instructions are often in English or the dominant regional language, which some villagers may not understand.
Complex Layouts: With separate wings for surgery, maternity, cardiology, and emergency care, patients often struggle to find the right department.
Lack of Assistance: Many hospitals do not have enough staff to guide patients, leaving them to wander around in confusion.
Time Wasted: Patients spend hours asking strangers for directions, leading to delays in treatment and missed appointments.
Government hospitals serve as the backbone of healthcare, especially for rural patients who cannot afford private treatment. In Meghalaya, institutions like NEIGRIHMS, Civil Hospital, Ganesh Das Hospital, and others provide crucial medical services to thousands of people daily. However, many patients and their families face apathy and lack of compassion, rude behaviour, and inattentive medical staff, making an already stressful experience even more difficult. It’s time for the government to take action on such kind of behaviour whenever detected or when complaints are made. They should remember one thing – that hospitals exist because of patients and in turn their livelihoods also depend on the patients.
Healthcare is not just about treatment—it is also about ensuring that patients feel safe, understood, and cared for. Hospitals in Meghalaya and beyond can improve rural patient experiences by making map-reading simpler, offering language assistance, and training staff to be patient and kind. A little guidance can go a long way in ensuring that no one feels lost in their journey to healing.
When villagers or rural patients or for that matter any patient visits a hospital, they typically have several expectations which include – affordable treatment, availability of doctors and staff, proper diagnosis and treatment –clean and hygienic facilities, availability of medicines, emergency care, polite and respectful treatment, clear communication, less waiting time and basic amenities.
A hospital should not just provide medical care but also treat patients with love, compassion, and dignity. When patients—especially those from villages—come seeking help, they need more than just medicine; they need kindness, understanding, and reassurance.
A hospital that treats with love should have:
Caring doctors and nurses – healthcare professionals who listen, comfort, and genuinely care for patients.
Respect for every patient – regardless of background, every person deserves to be treated with dignity.
A warm and welcoming environment – a place where patients feel safe and valued, not just like numbers in a system.
Holistic healing – combining medicine with emotional support, encouraging words, and even spiritual care if needed.
Smiles and kind words – sometimes, a simple smile or a kind word can be as healing as medicine.
A hospital that heals with love not only cures diseases but also gives hope and peace.