Student bodies and healthcare system in state
- The People's Chronicle Editorial :: November 01, 2024 -

IT'S disheartening to learn that volunteers of a students' organisation attempted forcible shutdown of the privately-run Diabetes Hospital & Research Centre, Porompat, especially at a time when there has been outbreak of diseases hitherto unfamiliar in Manipur and government hospitals have been either facing problems in providing accommodation to the patients or running short of manpower and advanced technologies.

Strongly condemning alleged bid by the DESAM volunteers to halt operation of the private hospital, its managing director Dr M Dhanabir revealed to newspersons on Wednesday that some DESAM volunteers had been showing up at the hospital in the last few days, and insisting on halting operation based on an unrelated order issued by the Medical Directorate in 2023.

As per the managing director, the hospital, mainly delivering treatment service based on naturopathy, homeopathy, and Ayush specifically for diabetes patients, is registered under a trust named Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Social Mission, and not under the Medical Directorate, thereby implying that the Medical Directorate's order has no bearing on the hospital.

Underscoring public service rendered so far, he informed that the hospital has provided treatment to over 3000 patients.

However, the managing director opining that the attempt to shut down the hospital appears to be at the behest of certain individuals with vested interests, cannot be taken lightly as such observation is certain to have serious ramifications, dilute student-centric activities and compel the public to question objective and rationale for the existence of various students' bodies, all asserting to be state level organisations.

Moreover, as the hospital authority has already lodged a police complaint against the DESAM volunteers, any follow up measures by the law enforcement agency would inevitably spark protests and create chaos in the society.

As such, it is desired that students' bodies do not impose their will but approach authorities concerned to sort out problems and iron out the differences, if any.

If at all students' bodies are keen to improve the healthcare system, focus should be on the government run hospitals across the state rather than the private ones, as the latter have a reputation of diligent service by the healthcare professionals compared to public hospitals which have gained notoriety for referring patients to private hospitals citing various reasons ranging from lack of modern equipment to shortage of specialists.

For instance, major public hospitals were mired in controversies centred on injudicious utilisation of funds sanctioned by the Ministry for research purposes and procuring equipment, non-uniform release of monthly salary, corruption, failure to fill vacant top administrative posts and irregularities in recruitment to name a few.

In case infrastructural, equipment and manpower shortages could be addressed, it is obvious that the public would not opt for private hospitals where the treatment costs are beyond the reach of commoners.

With so much technological and infrastructure advancements made in medical science, it is time that the students' bodies exert pressure on authorities of public hospitals to bring about a rapid improvement in the public health indicators, especially in light of the renewed commitment by the central government towards speedy achievement of universal health coverage in the entire north-east region.