A new ultrasound unit was inaugurated at Smit primary health centre (PHC) today by Health and Family Welfare Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh but what the dorbar shnong really wants to see is an upgrade from PHC to CHC (community health centre) to help it cope with the varied medical problems of locals as well as villagers from further afield.
The ultrasound unit was funded through the CM Catalytic Fund, which is meant to boost the state’s sustainable development goal (SDG) targets. Local MLA Ardent M Basaiawmoit was also present on the occasion.
In view of the state government’s desire to bring down the maternal mortality rate (MMR) and infant mortality rate (IMR) and considering the number of high risk pregnant women in these areas, the District Health Society took the initiative to set up the ultrasound unit at Smit PHC in order for locals to avail free services near their homes.
With this initiative, the pregnant women from Smit and Mawkynrew areas will get access to ultrasound services for free and closer to their village and this will help in bringing down their out-of-pocket expenditures.
Meanwhile, the executive committee of Smit dorbar has urged the state government to upgrade the PHC to CHC.
Giving a powerpoint presentation on the occasion, the Sordar of Smit, Pynshongdor Lyngdoh Nongbri, informed the Health Department officials that an average of 1,700 visits occur to the out-patient department (OPD) of the PHC every month, while another 114 patients are admitted in the in-patient department (IPD) on a monthly basis.
He also informed that on an average 20 infants are born at the facility every month while the PHC also caters to 563 emergency cases each month.
Even though Mawkynrew has a CHC in Jongksha, many people from the area come to Smit to get themselves treated, Nongbri added.
Of the OPD cases, 54 percent are from in and around Smit while the remaining 46 percent are from outside. Among in-patients, 49 percent are from the Smit area while a small majority of 51 percent are from elsewhere.
Emergency cases are by and large from outside the area (63 percent), while a large minority of infant deliveries (46 percent) are also from outside Smit.
“Through this we can see that villages outside Smit depend on our PHC and therefore it is a fit case to upgrade it to a CHC,” Nongbri stated, adding that the dorbar shnong is ready to provide land for the upgrade.
Smit PHC began life as a dispensary before being upgraded to a PHC in 1997. It currently serves a population of 32,400 in the Smit area, not including outsiders, across 38 villages and 6,442 households.
