Discrimination, negligence slur on Ukhrul District Hospital
Source: The Sangai Express

Ukhrul, July 27 2011: In the backdrop of serious discrepancy in the treatment of PLHA in Ukhrul, the District Hospital here has on Tuesday courted a public ire with the death of AS Themngam, a HIV/AIDS patient, after being denied a proper medical attention in the hospital.

Themngam, a PLHA patient and a father of four children, was admitted to the Ukhrul District Hospital after some health complication at about 6 pm on Monday.

Interestingly, the hospital was found to have no doctor on duty, while the two nurses refused to attend to the patient.

"The nurses even refused to administer proper first aid to my husband, and treated us so rudely.

I even have to remove the syringe from my husband body as the nurses refuse to do so," alleged Pangam, the deceased wife.

"My husband passed away this morning, and not a single medical staff was around to do the needful," she added.

Members of UNP+ and ISWAR (DIC) have alleged that today's incident is not an isolated case.

"The district hospital staff are not properly oriented on how to treat the PLHA patients.

There have been several unreported incidents of discrimination," said a UNP+ worker.

On receiving the news of alleged discrimination meted out to the PLHA patient this morning, members of Indigenous Mothers Association (IMA), Tangkhul Katamnao Saklong (TKS), Tangkhul Mayar Ngala Long (TMNL), UNP+ and ISWAR (DIC) among others, made a visit and conducted an independent investigation into the incident.

Family and friends mourning Themngam's demise

IMA president, Tam Zimik, alleged that, "There was no doctor on duty and the two available nurses even refused to attend to the patient.

This is totally an act of discrimination and negligence prevailing in the hospital" .

She was however grateful Dr Doren, a child specialist, who was off duty volunteered to attend to the patient this morning.

According to the hospital assignment roster, Dr Pamcha was supposed to be on duty last night.

"Where was he? Why the nurses refused to attend to the patient," asked TMNL president Ningkhan Shangh Shimray.

CMO Dr Jimkin, who was away to Kasom Khullen to take stock of the malaria outbreak, is not available for comment.

The Ukhrul District Hospital is presently running without Medical Superintendent (MS).

In the last transfer order issued by the State Government, Dr Sarat is to take charge as MS of Ukhrul but is yet to join for duty.

In fact, the PLHA patients in Ukhrul has been facing serious problem with the CD4 Count testing system in the district hospital still remaining not functional for about eight months.

"The CD4 Count system cannot be put to use due to non-availability of relevant technician.

The hospital authorities have even informed the visiting Central team recently," District Immunization Officer and a former CMO, Dr Chisti, said.

The frontal Tangkhul organizations have also stated that the district hospital has sufficient doctors and staff in number.

However, many of them are not physically present in the hospital.

To register their displeasure with the hospital authorities, family members of the deceased refused to take out the corpse from the hospital ward.

However, they complied after the visiting members of the Tangkhul organizations signed an undertaking with the hospital authorities.

In the evening, Tangkhul Mayar Ngala Long (TMNL) and Tangkhul Katamnao Saklong (TKS) held discussion with the hospital authorities and resolved to take up the matters with the higher authorities.