Only in Nagaland: ‘Psychiatrist doing gynecologist’s work’

EMN
Dimapur, June 30

The wanton, random, and often bucolic ways of Nagaland’s state machineries are infamous but a recent charge from a community youth group in Mokokchung could be the heights: The government of Nagaland has provided a psychiatrist to replace a gynecologist for Imkongliba Memorial District Hospital.
Mokokchung town’s youth group, the Mokokchung Town Lanur Telongjem (MTLT), called the government’s gaffe “hilarious” and ‘baffling’. In brief, the youth organization has asked the government to answer this query: ‘Whether or not a psychiatrist can do the work of a gynecologist and whether a psychiatrist can assist those patients coming with their ‘private problems’ or help in childbirth and the like’. The youth organization issued a press release on Tuesday, June 30 expressing ‘serious concern’ over a recent notification issued by the department of Health & Family Welfare on June 25, The order effected ”some changes” in the posting of doctors and specialists in the state.
Through the government order, the premier healthcare institution of Mokokchung district Imkongliba Memorial District Hospital has been “deprived” of two gynecologists and an obstetrician as they have now been transferred out of the district.
“The MTLT is aware of the government’s prerogative to effect transfer and posting of the different government officers and employees. However, the MTLT is totally baffled at the government action of transferring out two much needed gynecologists from the hospital without any provision for their relieve or replacement,” the press release said.
“It is hilarious to note that the department has provided a ‘Sr. Splt (Psychiatry)’ (senior specialist psychiatry) to replace the transferred gynecologist at the hospital. In this regard, the MTLT would like to question whether a ‘psychiatrist’ can do the work of a gynecologist and whether a psychiatrist can assist those patients coming with gynae problem or help in child birth and the like”.
The MTLT has strongly demanded that the department take immediate steps to deploy the required gynecologists. “The MTLT asserts that until and unless there is replacement for the posts, then the present specialists who has been serving at the IMDH will not be released from Mokokchung district,” the group said.
“The MTLT cautions that in the event of non compliance of our just demand, we would be left with no option but to take our own course of action in a phased manner; in the case of any eventualities while pursuing our demand, the responsibility will be solely held by the department,” the authorities said.
The youth organization had another word for the government: “At a time, when mother and child healthcare is given utmost importance both at the centre and the state level, it is very distressing to note that the Health & Family Welfare department has deprived the Imkongliba Memorial District Hospital of the two gynecologists and obstetrician, which is nothing short of being insensitive not only to mother and child but also to the whole public in general”.
The organization accessed hospital records which are understood to have showed that the gynecologists had been rendering services at the hospital tending to more than thousands of patients not only from in and around the district but also from the neighboring districts such as Longleng, Zunheboto, and Tuensang district.