Post emergency services: KHM submits memorandum

From A Reporter

SHILLONG, March 3: Concerned over the recent accident in West Khasi Hills last Sunday which had claimed 17 lives and leaving more than 60 people critically injured, the Khun Hynniewtrep tiol Awakening Movement (KHM), Mawthadraishan youth wing circle, on Friday submitted a memorandum to Health Minister Roshan Warjri seeking her immediate intervention on post emergency services.

In the memorandum, KHM informed the Minister that since the new two lane road was made operatiol in West Khasi Hills district, a large number of accidents have been witnessed, where lives have been lost and injury been incurred.

In this connection, the Movement observed that the state government have been a mere spectator to the accidents and not much have been done by the government on ‘Post Accident Care’.

“It would not be wrong to say that some lives have been lost due to absence of proper and quick emergency services. There were even instances that doctors, specialist, instruments are not available or non- functiol and not sufficient to handle post accident services to victims,” said F Pariong, publicity secretary, KHM, Mawthadraishan youth wing circle.

Informing that a statistic published by Ministry of Road and Highway have indicated that one serious road accident occurs in the country every minute and one person dies in a road accident every four minutes, he said, “The public in the rural areas are not aware of the general awareness programme on road safety and there is less or no knowledge on first aid skills. There is a lack of awareness regarding the Supreme Court directive on right to emergency care for RTA victims and the legal protection available to good Samaritans to offer help to the victims of road accidents.”

He informed that the KHM Mawthadraishan youth wing has inspected the PHC at Markasa and Kynshi in the past two days and has also met Dr. Pariong and Dr. Khongwir of these PHC respectively in order to get feedback on the services of these PHC.

The Movement has also suggested the Minister in the memorandum that an immediate large scale awareness programme be conducted in West Khasi Hills, Mawthadraishan Block, and West Khasi Hills has only three PHCs viz at Kynshi, Markasa and Pariong. Kynshi PHC or Markasa PHC may be upgraded to a CHC for emergency services and effective medical care for the area, sufficient doctors needs to be made available at the PHC/CHC.