SHILLONG: The appalling state of healthcare service in Meghalaya can be gauged from the condition of the numerous primary health centres which have no basic medical facilities and no regular doctors.
Mawryngkneng PHC is an example of the pathetic condition of rural service. The Synjuk ki Sordar Dorbar Shnong met Health Minister AL Hek on Saturday and apprised him of the problems faced by locals.
Hek assured the delegation that there would be a joint inspection of the health centre.
The Synjuk ki Sordar Dorbar Shnong comprises Mawryngkneng, Pommura, Ksehpyndeng, Thangshalai, Puriang and Kut villages.
Some of the problems listed by the Synjuk include lack of manpower, cleanliness and hygiene, shortage of medicines and limited reception timing leaving out many patients. It also pointed out that no post of cook has been sanctioned till date.
The Synjuk also complained that nurses at the PHC were always unwilling to attend to patients and doctors are irregular at work.
When contacted, chairman of the Synjuk Peter Lawai said, “After we apprised him of the problems at Mawryngkneng PHC, he assured us that a joint inspection will be conducted.”
The Synjuk has demanded that the PHC be upgraded to a community health centre.
The old PHC building has no separate room for delivery cases and one ward is used as a labour room and other patients. The Synjuk expressed concern that the new PHC building has been completed but not yet inaugurated.
The PHC building was not made functional three years after it was completed because a transformer was not installed.
Last year, a report of the Comptroller and Auditor General had said failure of the Health Engineering Wing to make provision for transformer in its estimate and delay in requesting Meghalaya Power Distribution Corporation Limited for installing transformer for the Mawryngkneng PHC “has not only rendered the expenditure of Rs 1 crore incurred on construction unfruitful but the objective to operate from the renovated and extended PHC remained unfulfilled even after three years of the building being completed”.
