The United Democratic Party’s (UDP) candidate for the Mawryngkneng seat at the upcoming February 27 election, Dr Osaphi S Jyrwa, who filed his nomination papers today, said that his priority will be to bring good healthcare facilities for his constituents.
This is the third time that Dr Jyrwa will contest an election. In 2008 he ran on a KHNAM ticket and in 2013 as an independent.
Confident to carry on the legacy of his late father, Grosswell Mylliemngap, who was an MLA of the erstwhile Sohryngkham constituency, Dr Jyrwa said that it was the supporters and well wishers who wanted him to contest the election and follow in his father’s footsteps.
Dr Jyrwa had served the people of Mawryngkneng as a medical officer in the primary health centre for 11 years and also at Diengpasoh PHC for another 11.
“I can tell you that the health infrastructure and facilities in this constituency are very poor,” he said, adding that Sohryngkham, one of the biggest villages in the state, does not even have a PHC. “We lost so many precious lives just because we don’t have medical facilities within our reach.”
There is also the need for an agriculture beat office in Diengpasoh because the administration and block development office are too far away for the farmers and also need a veterinary office and dispensary facilities in the area, Dr Jyrwa said.
Youth unemployment is a subject on which he would not make any promises as the situation is of crisis proportions.
“I cannot just give any assurance to the unemployed youth that I will give them employment because I cannot single-handedly address this issue but it should be the priority of the government as a whole to tackle it,” he said, adding that all he can do in this matter is give suggestions to the government once he is elected.
