EMN
Dimapur, October 12
The United Sangtam Students’ Conference (USSC) has “with utmost veneration” complained about what they called “the pathetic health care in the Kiphire district” and demanded health personnel to be stationed in “the realm” of healthcare in the district. The organization has given the authorities a month to address the demand.
The USSC issued a press release on Monday stating that it no longer has “option but to seek an immediate intervention to the office of Directorate, Health Family Welfare, Kohima, Nagaland to take up measures in humanity service under its vision, goal and objectives for the people of Kiphire district in the realm of health care system within thirty 30 days to justify as sought below in the interest of the general public of Kiphire district.”
“Kiphire district with four blocks and 25 health units out of which the District Hospital Kiphire and the Community Health Centre, Pungro are identified as the First Referral Units (FRU). But to our utter surprise the District Hospital is running with inadequate Health Personnel (Doctors, Nurses, Health assistants) and fall below Standard Health Norms since its inception,” the organization stated.“Notwithstanding, the existing health personals in delivering their service is praiseworthy, though without having the strength of specialist doctors, insufficient nurses and non-availability of equipments to diagnosis the patients which hampers the quality treatment.”
The USSC also stated that “the drugs were not received as per the demand instead they receive at the verge of its expiry date. As such, public at large in the district had left no option but to prefer outside District to safe one’s life though in a poor economic condition.”
The USSC has sought “necessary corrective modes have to be initiated and improved delivery system in health service and let the health personnel of Kiphire win the respect of their professions ‘service to the humanity.’”
The organization appreciated the chief medical officer and the medical superintendent of district hospital of Kiphire “for rendering their efforts to bring the health services bar with the rest of the districts.”
However, it asked the “the office of Directorate, Kohima, Nagaland” to “justify under the establishment of Chief Medical Office, Kiphire” on a number of points. The USSC stated these points (verbatim):
• “Surgeon: Not even a single surgeon is posted in the District. To our dismay, the District Civil Hospital exists without a single Surgeon till today ever since its inception.
• Facilities: Improper Pathological services, quality and insufficient beds, insufficient manpower, lack of diagnostic and therapeutic services, shortage of drugs and sub-optimal functioning of the infrastructure are some of the persistent health care problems.
• Lady Health Visitor (LHV) post to Kiphire District: - The Lady Health Visitor (LHV) which was posted at PHC Pungro under the establishment of CMO, Kiphire in the year 1998 should immediately retain back to Kiphire District, as it was transfer with post to Phek District after a short attachment at Pfutsuro Town. Thus, Kiphire District is the only District left without LHV, when the rest of the Districts and Sub-Divisions have from the total 59(fifty nine) LHV post in the State.
• PHC Seyochung Sub-Division:- No reliever against M.O who is on study leave; No Ambulance been provided.
• District Hospital Kiphire Nursing staff: - The upgraded strength of nursing staff by the department was deprived unscrupulously in the District. Therefore, up-gradation of 7 (seven) posts be provided to Kiphire District Hospital immediate, where presently it has only 11(eleven) nurses with only four GNM.
•DIO Vehicle: Vehicle for District Immunization officer should be provided at the earliest as the old vehicle is not in condition, when the officer concern is doing her duty with the attached vehicle of School Health Programme which makes the programme officers inconvenience in their services.”
According to the Sangtam students, the district is “solely dependent on the government sector for health service with no other private sector for health service; however the delivery of the health service is besieged with a plethora of persistent gap with poor infrastructural facilities, lack of sufficient qualified nurses and shortage of man power being the main challenge in the district.”
Likewise, the existing health units are not sufficient enough to cover all the far flung areas, the USSC stated.
“Taking into consideration that there are no private health care service in the district, there is an ardent need to improve the delivery system of health services in the district. Henceforth, the United Sangtam Students’ Conference in the interest of its district community shall not remain a mute spectator if the department concern fails to safeguard the equality as seek upon.”
The organization added: “Your timely intervention will safe thousand life’s of innocent and poor people living in the remotes areas.”
