By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Sep 10: Lashing out at the government in the Assembly, Leader of Opposition Mukul Sangma has accused the Health department of failing its citizens by leaving Primary Health Centres (PHCs) without doctors.
With a stern and uncompromising tone, Sangma described the lapses as “utter negligence” and “insensitivity” that had no place in governance.
Sangma said the absence of doctors in PHCs and Sub-PHCs had forced patients to seek medical help in other jurisdictions, only to be denied treatment on technical grounds. He argued that such systemic failures were subjecting people to hardship, confusion, and frustration.
Citing one particular PHC as an example, he criticised the department for transferring its doctor without ensuring a replacement. He said the omission was reckless and avoidable, reflecting a clear dereliction of duty.
According to him, these were not isolated oversights but repeated acts of negligence that exposed the insensitivity of officials toward public suffering.
He added that while the health minister may not have been fully aware of the extent of these failures, it did not absolve the government of responsibility.
He pressed for immediate corrective measures to ensure that every PHC across the state was adequately staffed with medical officers, warning that people’s right to basic healthcare could not be compromised by administrative lapses.