DH Senapati suffers shortages, citizens decry apathy
Source: Chronicle News Service

Senapati, July 29 2022: Constructed under the North Eastern Council (NEC) funded Non-Lapsable Central Pool of Resources (NLCPR), the 50-bedded District Hospital Senapati continues to suffer from different issues and is failing to deliver its intended services to the people.

According to reliable sources, the sanctioned 50-bedded hospital is functioning like a 100-bedded medical centre due to high OPD counts and hospital admissions.

The Hospital administration is helpless except to seek assistance and attention from higher authorities in Imphal.

Many patient parties and citizens have de cried the negligence of Medical Department towards addressing even vital and basic facilities like blood bank, proper water supply system, cleanliness and sufficient medical staff members at DH Senapati.

Despite frequent reports in the local media and concerned citizens taking up the issues on social media, the state government and its Health Department remained apathetic towards resolving important public complaints till today.

With just 18 nurses against 36 sanctioned posts, acute shortage of nursing staff has been a long pending issue for many years now.

Many people have also raised the issue of poor water supply system in the DH, with supply of water to patients and attendants along with staff quarters and pharmacies located within DH complex remaining insufficient, sources said.

With no water source for five water tanks, DH Senapati recently received water once a week from the newly inaugurated Karong water supply system.

"Repeated red flags were raised over prolonged water scarcity, unhygienic toilets and rooms, shortage of staff members, absence of proper quarters for medical staff, power issues, lack of funds and requirement for renovation works but those complaint letters submitted to the Health Directorate, Imphal remained just a piece of paper", informed our sources.

With just one laboratory technician against four technicians required, the only government run 50-bedded hospital in Senapati district is still without any micro-biologist for blood bank, X-Ray technician, sonographer or other technician, forcing those economically weak patients to opt for private diagnostic centres.

"Most of the serious and accident victims coming from both town areas and remote villages are administered first aid or medical assistances and then referred to Imphal medical centres due to lack of proper medical equipment and technical staff," informed an official on duty.

The DH Senapati has also not received RKS funds since 2020 to manage administrative or for repairing of ambulance or vehicle issues.

Oxygen plant located within DH Senapati was inaugurated by CM N Biren Singh in October last year, but due to lack of sufficient power supply it is functioning has remained irregular and the District Hospital is faced with power shortages frequently.

Moreover, many contractual staff employed in DH Senapati have not received their salary for many months.

The list is endless, the DH Senapati building along with medical quarters for officers, nurses and medical superintendent building are facing roof leakages, unusable rooms and poor-quality works which urgently need repairing and renovation works.

With elevator not functioning since its inauguration in 2014, dissatisfied patient's party continued to air their concerns in public forum.

Questions remain as to how an important institution like District Hospital continues to be neglected and suffer apathy of the government.

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