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Our Correspondent
Kohima, April 26 (EMN): The absence of a medical officer (MO) at Ralan in Wokha district is a cause of concern for the people inhabiting the area.
Out of three sub-centres in the area, one was recently upgraded to a primary health centre (PHC) with no infrastructural presence at the moment.
In this regard, advisor to IT, Science and Technology, NRE, Mmhonlumo Kikon said that although Ralan has a PHC, “we don’t have a doctor as yet. So the entire area does not have a doctor appointed or placed by the Medical (Health) department”.
For any immediate medical attention, service will be provided by medical officer from CRPF, who are manning the Assam-Nagaland border in the area.
“They are providing a doctor to look into any eventuality. For now, the nurses are stationed and manning the two main entrances to Ralan and onwards to Wokha,” the advisor said.
In the last five years, under the National Health Mission, Ralan sub-centre had one doctor, who took care of the entire area. In Bhandari’s community health centre, there are six doctors and nurses. In all sub-centres, one or two nurses and medical attendants are stationed.
‘But the number of villages is very high; we feel that in spite of the number of nurses provided to us, it is relatively low,’ Kikon said.
Deputy Chief Minister Y Patton, who visited the area, assured to appeal to the department to deploy a medical officer. Since the Ralan area has been upgraded to PHC, it is entitled to an MO, he added.
Sub-divisional officer and Border Magistrate of Ralan, Meyazungba Jamir said that the area is facing a shortage of healthcare workers, particularly doctors.
‘It is not only about the coronavirus here. People here have to go to Dimapur as well for treating illnesses, which makes it very difficult for us to maintain lockdown in such cases,’ Jamir said.
He appreciated the visit of all the four legislators from Wokha and said that they have assured them to send an MO as soon as possible which is ‘very good news.’ “Posting a doctor will help us a lot,” he added said.
Deputy Commissioner of Wokha Orenthung Lotha informed that District Hospital Wokha has been declared as a Covid-19 hospital. There are around 12 quarantine centres in the district besides hotels and resorts, and general administration rest houses have been arranged for doctors and medical staff for any eventuality, Lotha added.