The Jaintia Joint Alliance (JJA), a conglomeration of the Jaintia Youth Federation and War Jaintia Students Union, has urged the State government to strictly monitor the attendance of government doctors and regular supply of medicines in health centres.
In a letter to Health Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh, through the West Jaintia Hills Deputy Commissioner, the JJA stated that several government doctors posted in dispensaries, PHCs, CHCs and Civil Hospitals within the Jaintia region are not adhering to the mandatory working hours as required by service rules.
According to the JAA these doctors frequently remain absent from their official duties during working hours and are reportedly attending to their private clinics instead, which is affecting the public healthcare delivery systems, especially for the poor and rural population.
The JJA also said there are numerous public complaints on the unavailability of prescribed medicines in government health institutions. “If a doctor prescribes four types of medicines to a patient, often only one is available, forcing poor patients to buy the remaining medicines from private pharmacies,” it said.
This, the JJA said, highlighted a serious gap in the supply chain and points to the lack of timely provisioning of medical supplies and essential equipment.
Seeking full and timely supply of medicines and basic medical equipment in all health centres, the alliance said this will bring much-needed relief to economically disadvantaged patients who cannot afford to purchase medicines from private outlets.
“If such grievances are found to persist even after one month of this submission, the government should be prepared to face strong public action,” the JJA said.
