Shillong,May 19: The Civil Society Women’s Organization (CSWO) today sought inquiry into the alleged practice by the staff of a government CHC at Sohiong to refer patients to private clinics.
“We demand an inquiry into this matter and urge the Health Department to look into the matter as health is the right of every citizen and they should not be neglected and pushed to private clinics where they have to spend more in spite of having a government CHC which should cater to health of every citizen,” CSWO president Agnes Kharshiing said in a statement issued on Friday.
She alleged that it has come to the knowledge of the CSWO that there were patients from the village of Kohphet Nongur, Krang Dewlieh and Pyndengkhah falling under Sohiong Constituency, East Khasi Hills District, who had gone to the CHC at Sohiong on the evening of May 16, with patients who were suffering and needed immediate attention but were instead referred to private clinics.
“The nurses in the CHC at Sohiong, had refused even listening, saying there was no doctor and before administering any drip they would have to go to the doctor in the clinic,” she said.
Kharshiing said that with no other option the patients had to go to the nearby clinic where a doctor who works in the CHC was having his private clinic and the patients had to spend more than Rs 500 in the clinic.
Speaking to one of the relatives of a patient who is about 60 years old, the CSWO was told that she had taken her aged mother to the CHC as she was suffering from dysentry and fever but was told there was no doctor but a Homeopathy doctor only was available… They then had to go to the clinic nearby.
Another father of a child too narrated his ordeal where on the 17/5/2017 his 10 year old child who had swallowed a coin was taken to the CHC in between 8-10 pm but there was no doctor and the nurses were just dilly dallying around. The child could not speak and was hiccupping and the father had to immediately book a private vehicle and took the child to the Civil Hospital at Shillong.
“This is injustice and they (Hospital staff) get their salary which is from public exchequer but are insensitive to the well being and health of the common man and pushes many to private hospitals or private clinics,” Kharshiing said.
Stating that such acts will not be tolerated, the CSWO warns all government health sectors to be cautious and not to neglect the patients who cone to hospitals for treatment or they will be taken to task as per law.
