Health Minister refute allegations over Jengjal PHC

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaNovember 11, 2021

Health and Family Welfare Minister James PK Sangma inspected the Jengjal PHC on Monday.

The objective of the inspection was to review the 10-bedded Primary Health Centre (PHC) and to clarify several allegations circulating around the PHC.

Sangma was accompanied by the Principal Secretary for Health P Sampath Kumar, National Health Mission (NHM) Director Ram Kumar S, DMHO of West Garo Hills, Deputy Commissioner of West Garo Hills Ram Singh and other officials.

The 10-bedded Primary Health Centre has been a medical venture surrounded by several allegations and subjected to protests by a group of people who began demanding for land compensation and jobs beyond what was inked in the agreement with the original landowners. 

In a writ petition that was submitted in the High Court, the group also alleged that the hospital has been given away to the Seventh Day Adventist Mission.

Speaking at the meeting,  Sangma said, “This hospital will benefit not only the people of Jengjal but also the entire region of Garo Hills. Instead of opposing, we should welcome this initiative where specialized doctors from reputed medical centres in the country such as the CMC Vellore are ready to come and provide us with the best healthcare services which the people do not even have to pay for because the government will take care of it.”

The Jengjal PHC is a medical centre that will provide the people of Garo Hills the benefit of specialized medical treatments for which many have to travel to Apollo Chennai or CMC Vellore. It was also meant to be upgraded and run by a team of specialized doctors from the renowned Christian Medical College (CMC), Vellore, including surgeons and other specialists.

The Health Minister refuted the allegations that the supposed hospital was to be a 100-bedded hospital run by the government. “To become a 100-bedded hospital, a PHC needs to be upgraded to a CHC and beyond. It took decades for Tura Civil Hospital to also become a 100-bedded hospital,” he said. While referring to the hospital being given away to the Seventh Day Adventist Mission, Sangma said, “The hospital remains with the government, and it has only been given to the doctors of CMC Vellore to run the Out Patient Department (OPD) through the SDA Mission on similar conditions of other hospitals under the Public Private Partnership (PPP) for five years.”

Sangma further added. “For the group to allege that the services provided will not be akin to a government hospital is wrong as there are already four specialists present at the Jengjal nursing home who belong to CMC Vellore and these doctors are doing a great job in serving the people from across the region who visit the hospital daily.”

As per the allegations, the government failed to provide jobs to the landowners and kin of the clan. However, four family and clan members of the land donors have been provided with government jobs and no other appointments have been given out so far. The SDA Mission nursing home that is being run by the CMC Vellore doctors provide the best healthcare facilities at the lowest cost while also providing underprivileged families free medical care including daily meals.

The Nokma present at the meeting provided a clarification that the land was given to the government with no conditions because it is a hospital that will cater to the medical needs of the people of Garo Hills.