Bishnu Rana

Medo, Apr 6: With the detection of the state’s first Covid-19 positive case here in the township, the shabby condition of  the Primary Health Centre (PHC) has been exposed and voices for its early revival have grown louder. 
Alleging that the PHC is suffering from an acute insufficiency of doctors & staff, masks, sanitizers, hand gloves and other life-saving drugs, locals on Monday thronged the checkgate intercepting the movement of essentials commodities and ambulances as a mark of protest. They demanded immediate posting of allopathic doctors, two trained Covid-19 experts, staff and required stock of adequate life-saving drugs and all essential items needed to tackle coronavirus cases. The protesters, however, were later persuaded to lift the blockade by a team of officials which included EAC Wakro Horki Diyum and DSP Lohit Thutan Jamba.
“At Medo, 145 persons are currently under home quarantine and the situation can’t be managed by a single doctor and immediate posting of one more doctor is need of the hour. Law and order is under control and people are complying with lockdown orders in full spirit,” EAC informed. He apprised the incident to DC Lohit and Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein who is also the local MLA of 46th Chowkham-Wakro Assembly Constituency. Later, promptly taking action, DCM issued order paving the way for posting of the current MO of Vivekananda Khoraliang Dr S Choudhury  along with other indispensable requirement to meet the crisis and promised all support to revamp the PHC. 

An emerging industrial hub, Medo has seen an increase of population during the last decade but there used to be a single health sub-centre run by Prayash, an NGO which was subsequently upgraded to a PHC in 2018 and now functions from the new RCC building. Unfortunately the PHC is run by a single Ayush doctor and there is an acute shortage of paramedical staff and   even during minor emergency cases, patients have to be  referred to Zonal Hospital Tezu or Tinsukia/Dibrugarh.

“Now at this hour of crisis when Covid-19 is a real threat, we feel insecure and the panic level has increased particularly after detection of the positive case here in Medo,” former ASM Sanjoy Ngadong rued.

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Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313

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