A joint memorandum submitted by various NGOs and public interest groups of Tuensang district and addressed to the Minister Health & Family Welfare, has come out with the startling disclosure that except for three doctors the others appointed by the government are “absconding” from their responsibilities. Given that massive dereliction of duty has become the norm in Nagaland, this latest disclosure is not surprising at all. In fact, a State-wide inspection of government facility will be able to shed light on many more such cases of “absconders” who are not only growing in numbers but becoming parasitic elements for the State to feed and without the commensurate work output being delivered back to the system. It is well known that a major part of the State resources is being drained out owing to salary payment of government employees and consequently the non-performance of the government sector in Nagaland is indeed a matter of serious concern, which needs urgent rectification.
The Chief Secretary as the head of the administrative machinery in the State should do the proper thing by personally monitoring (non) functioning of government offices and departments in all the districts, sub-divisions and block level across the State. More importantly, every government employee should be held accountable for his or her work. And as rightly pointed out in the representation, the concerned Minister should consider the matter with all seriousness and ensure that the absentee doctors report immediately to the Tuensang Civil Hospital failing which the concerned department should seriously consider their dismissal from service and advertising the posts for fresh recruitment among the unemployed doctors waiting in the wings.
While health care deserves the outmost attention if people are to remain both physically healthy and economically productive, sadly enough, rural health care in the State is in doldrums as is evident from the latest report and also other similar disclosures made in the past and reported in The Morung Express. For instance, last year it was reported that an epidemic among vulnerable children of Changlangshu village in Mon district had led to more than 10 deaths besides an estimated 300 taken seriously ill from various ailments especially measles, diarrhea, dysentery and other water-borne diseases. While Changlangshu has a sub-health centre but its staffs posted there had been absent for no valid reason. Unfortunately, Changlangshu, Medzhiphema or Tuensang are not the only exception of neglect. Whether it is education or basic health care services, the neglect of rural Nagaland is all too familiar with the concerned authority having done little about it for many years now.
The State Government should take a thorough review of health services across the State and more so in the block and primary level health centers and district hospitals. It will not be surprising to find acute shortage of doctors and medical services being left unattended. Much therefore needs to be done to improve health care delivery and services in the rural areas. What should be of equal concern is that though sufficient funds are being allocated to address the problem, there appears to be no visibility of infrastructure and medical personnel in these centers. One way of addressing this problem is to rationalize the recruitment of staff in each district and then appoint them where they are needed most. The government has to take a tough position while the politicians should also not interfere in the rationale distribution of work.
