SHILLONG, JULY 15: North Eastern Council (NEC) member CK Das on Friday said there is a huge of doctors, especially specialist, in the north eastern region even as he proposed that seventy-five per cent of the medical seats should be reserved for the local people from the region to address this concern.
“In North East there is shortage of doctor. We don’t have sufficient numbers of specialists like cardiologist, anesthesiologist, neurologist and others,” Das told newsmen at the sideline of a health sector regional review meeting held in the city on Wednesday.
Stating that one of the major problems is because 50 per cent of the seats for post graduate in medicines in colleges here are reserved for outside people, he said, “This is becoming the system for the country. So today, will raise the issue that colleges in NE should reserve at least 75 per cent of seats for the MBBS doctors of NE region.”
The meeting was attended by commissioner and secretary level officers of planning and health departments from all the NE states.
According to him, if this is considered then the region can have more doctors and more colleges.
“Once we have more MDs we can have more colleges,” he said while pointing out that at present medical colleges cannot be set up because there is not enough doctors as per the Medical Council of India guidelines.
Another problem that contributed to the shortage of doctors is the unwillingness of those doctors who passed out from the region to serve in the rural areas but are willing to pay the bond amount.
When asked, Das said, “It’s unfortunate as this is a character of some people given the fact that a student in a medical college spends seven years realizing that the money that comes from the government is public money and that they have to pay back through their service.”
Stating that the government has to take a tough stand on the matter, he however said, “I personally feel that instead of 4-5 lakh of the bond value, it should be increased to Rs 50 lakhs.”
Even while stating that India is a democratic country he said, “It is through consensus, persuasion and discussion that we can succeed this challenge of doctors not willing to work in rural areas or even have trained nurses for that fact.”
Admitting that the lack of medical colleges also contribute to the problem in a state like Meghalaya, said, “If Meghalaya government gives a proposal, to the maximum possible NEC will try to help to set up medical colleges in Shillong or places like Jowai but decision should be taken because unless you decide nothing is going to happen.”
Meanwhile, the NEC member he said that he is going to review the implementation of schemes sanctioned by the government in as far as development of health sector in the NE region.
“We have already sanction lots of schemes and today we are reviewing as we have released so much of funds, what is the progress of work, what is the difficulties, why the schemes not implemented in time, we will discuss what are the difficulties and find what are solutions to remove those difficulties and only then people will get the fruit of this investment,” he said.
According to him, sanctioning of money is not enough but after sanctioning, implementation has to be completed.
Further, Das also expressed his concern on the increase cases of mental illness and suicide cases in Meghalaya and NE region as a whole. He said, “Mental cases and the number of suicides has increased,” while recalling that he was born in Shillong and when he left the place in 1968, there were never any suicide except one or two.
“In my 19 years in Shillong, there was no suicide and there was no mad man,” he said adding that in Guwahati, everyday young people are committing suicide.
Stating that the needs are too much but resources very limited, he however said, “Whatever resources that is there should be done quickly. For every children, every woman, today’s health care has to be provided they can’t wait till tomorrow and that should be our motto and goal… people should demand.”– By Our Reporter
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