The United Sangtam Students’ Conference (USSC) has appealed to the Health and Family Welfare (H&FW) department to urgently address the shortage of doctors, staff nurses and basic medical facilities at Longkhim-Chare area health centres.
In a representation addressed to the principal director H&FW, USSC vice president Adekhing I Sangtam and assistant general secretary Tsathrongli T Sangtam stated that shortages were significantly impacting the healthcare services provided to the community.
United Sangtam Students’ Conference stated that under Longkhim-Chare area, there was one community health centre (CHC) in Longkhim, which should ideally have at least four doctors and seven staff nurses.
However, it said the current situation was alarming as the community health centre Longkhim was being managed by only one doctor and four staff nurses.
United Sangtam Students’ Conference stated that the “inadequate staffing pattern” severely hampered the quality of healthcare services offered to the population.
Further, among the five primary health centres (PHCs) in the area—PHC-Chare, PHC-Tsadang, SHC-Mangakhi, PHC-Chimonger, and PHC-Angangba—only Angangba PHC has a doctor and the remaining four PHCs were operating without a single doctor.
Besides, shortage of doctors and nurses, United Sangtam Students’ Conference said there was also an urgent need for medical facilities like ultra sound machine and latest X-Ray machine along with technician at CHC Longkhim and a pharmacist at PHC Chare.
United Sangtam Students’ Conference has, therefore, urged the department to take immediate action in addressing those pressing issues.