Imphal/New Delhi:
Critical patients in Manipur’s violence-hit Churachandpur district need urgent transport to specialized hospitals due to lack of supplies, facilities and medical professionals, a top doctor in the district told DailyExpertNews.
Those suffering from serious heart problems and ailments like brain haemorrhage need prompt intervention, which unfortunately is impossible to get due to lack of proper transportation, said the doctor who monitors health emergencies in Churachandpur, requesting anonymity.
A helicopter service from Churachandpur, announced by Home Minister Amit Shah in early June, flew for some time and stopped. It hasn’t restarted yet.
“The helicopter service can save many lives. This is the immediate priority,” the doctor told DailyExpertNews.
Many patients from Kuki-Zo tribes suffering from serious diseases died in Churachandpur as they could not be taken to Guwahati in Assam or Aizawl in Mizoram, the doctor said.
Manipur’s capital Imphal has a number of well-equipped hospitals, but roadblocks and the risk of violence pose too great a risk for patients to attempt to drive to Imphal. In early May, an ambulance was set on fire in Iroisemba in Imphal West, killing an 8-year-old child, his mother and a relative.
“The drive to Aizawl takes twelve hours to a full day, sometimes two days if road conditions do not permit. We request the central government to restart the helicopter service. Only in this way can critical patients be quickly taken to good hospitals.” said the doctor, explaining the difficulties in transporting critically ill patients by road in the hilly area in the absence of the helicopter service.
In a district with a population in lakhs, the number of specialized medical professionals is too low to treat the huge number of patients awaiting treatment. Churachandpur is in dire need of cardiologists, neurologists and other similar doctors.
One solution amid the volatile situation that the Center can consider is to bring such doctors to the district on a rotation of one to two weeks, the doctor from Churachandpur told DailyExpertNews. Diagnostic centers are under great pressure as testing equipment requires maintenance and materials such as fluids and kits run out.
“Even if there is working equipment, you need someone to operate it. There is no one left,” the doctor said.
Due to roadblocks in the valley areas, essentials and medical facilities cannot easily reach Churachandpur and other hill districts. “Whatever happens, it’s not enough,” the doctor said.
While critical patients need immediate transportation, the medium to long-term solution should be to focus on creating quality healthcare facilities in Churachandpur, the doctor said, adding that even private parties should try to build such infrastructure to create.
Manipur has restored mobile internet after more than four months. More than 180 people have been killed in the ethnic clashes between the Kuki tribes and the Meiteis majority in the valley, following protests over the Meiteis’ demand to be included in the Scheduled Tribes (ST) category.