Tusom leaves healthcare to fate
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, October 24 2013: Whereas Manipur has been ranked first in terms of low Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) among all the States of India, there is no worthy healthcare system in Tusom area under Jessami sub-division of Ukhrul district and villagers have literally surrendered their healthcare and for that matter their lives to fate.

For the villages located around BP No 129 of Indo-Myanmar border, the nearest health care facility is the Chingai PHC (seen shut in the photograph).

The PHC is around 25 Kms from the border villages.

Rate of child delivery at hospitals or health care centres is abysmally low in these areas and the lone PHC is also unable to provide full benefits of its presence.

Yet, parents always make sure that polio drops are given to their kids every year, said Tusom Christian village headman Miksha Zimik.

There is not a single health centre in Tusom area except for a lone ASHA (Accredited Social Health Activist).

The shut PHC at Chingai says it all

When the water level of Chalou river is high, women have no option but to deliver children at their homes which implied high IMR.

When a person is critically ill, he/she is taken to either Ukhrul or Imphal after taking him/her on a local stretcher on foot up to Chingai, Miksha said.

Even if the villagers know the drugs needed for a particular illness or disease, there is no pharmacy in the nearby places.

They have to travel 121 Kms up to Ukhrul town to purchase medicines which entails huge expenditure.

If a family must hire a vehicle for carrying a sick person, they should spend Rs 5000 to Rs 6000 for a one-way trip to Ukhrul.

Saying that they have been literally living on their own fate, the headman sought immediate attention of the Government.

He also reminded that they have been paying hills house tax regularly.

Tusom Christian Village has a primary school and it is a learning centre for not only surrounding villages but also for Somra village of Myanmar.

In accordance to a decision of the village, Burmese language is also taught in the school.

For this, a teacher was hired from Myanmar at Rs 5000 per month, Miksha said.

New Tusom headman Sangnuiyo Vashum said that their village has a dispensary but not doctors or nurse which means it is as good as dead.

New Tusom has a Government High School.

It is only High School for the village as well as the surrounding villages but it has only four Government teachers.

As the Government appointed teachers are not sufficient, the villagers have hired and roped the service of eight additional teachers, Sangnuiyo said.

The foremost wishes of the villagers are construction of a bridge over Chalou river and an all weather road.

Quoting Government records which claimed New Tusom and Tusom Christian village as electrified, Sangnuiyo said that it was the villagers of New Tusom and Tusom Christian village who put up poles and electric wires for transmission electricity generated by a generator at their own cost during festivals.