Healthcare inadequacies hallmark of rural areas
- The People's Chronicle Editorial :: February 01, 2023 -

IF at all the incumbent government cannot meet basic requirement of staff to make a healthcare centre functional, then it is but natural that posers would be raised over claims by ministers and ruling party legislators that there has been significant improvement in the state's healthcare sector.

Accepted that establishment of new healthcare facilities will entail hefty spending from the state's limited exchequer or as had been the norm, patronage of the centre.

However, inability to make even existing facility such as the Borobekra Primary Healthcare Centre to serve the purpose due to shortage of medical practitioners testifies administrative inefficiency on the part of the state government for there is no role of New Delhi in matters related to posting and transfer of medical staffers other than sanctioning and funding viable projects.

It's also an irony that Manipur is being conferred award multiple times by a reputed publication house in recognition of the improvement made in health centre in recent times, but the Borobekra PHC is unable to justify its existence, that too due to absence of trained staffers out of its sanctioned strength of only five healthcare service providers.

Compared to outcries and condemnations over successive governments' failure to set up and make healthcare service accessible to denizens settling in hilly and remote corners of the state, it's lamentable that the Borobekra PHC has a building of its own, staff quarters and basic infrastructure but the locals have to travel for miles till Jiribam town in case of medical emergency as the PHC is bereft of doctors and nurses.

In such a pathetic situation, it is obvious that the people wouldn't be impressed with the government's plan to start helicopter medical services to address miseries of the people settling in far flung areas and intermittent claims to upgrade RIMS Hospital to the status of AIIMS.

Rather, the commoners would wish that the government strives to address the real problem of absence of basic healthcare facilities and personnel in many remote corners of the state for their perennial distressful situation cannot be mitigated by the so-called flying doctors.

There were reports that process for induction of helicopter medical services had started including proposal sent to the Civil Aviation ministry to provide Rs 25 crore for the first-of-its kind service in the state.

Apart from the idea of launching the flying doctors, the present government in its formative years had made numerous announcements for improving the quality of health services to the public, including those who are affected by several factors including the distance to health facilities, non-availability of drugs, equipment inadequacies and shortage of trained health workers.

Indeed, efforts are on to improve the quality of services, including introduction of free dialysis service at JNIMS and RIMS hospitals apart from plans to make available certain medicines at highly subsidised rates, building more health facilities, ensuring adequate man-power, etc.

Notwithstanding such commendable initiatives, the ground reality tells a different tale for shortage of doctors, subsidiary staff and non-availability of medicines remain the hallmark of healthcare facilities beyond the district headquarters, as could be comprehended from the defunct Borobekra PHC.

With hundreds of doctors rolled out from RIMS and JNIMS and Manipur faring better among the north-eastern states in terms of medical training, it is disheartening that only the private hospitals are flourishing in the state.

Thus, the government needs to focus on identifying factors that are affecting perceived quality of services along with adopting an effective policy for the medical personnel, who had pledged to serve the society, to justify public fund spent on making them medical professionals.