SHILLONG, SEP 17: The Hynniewtrep Integrated Territorial Organization (HITO) in West Jaintia Hills has urged the district’s four legislators to press the Meghalaya government to establish a government nursing school in Jowai, the district headquarters.
This call follows a meeting with Health Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh. HITO President Owansakhi Pasweth expressed concern that the government may shift the proposed nursing school, initially planned for Jowai in 2012, to Baghmara in Garo Hills.
Pasweth said, “We urge all the legislators to ensure the state government fulfil its promises to set up a nursing school at Jowai.”
“The nursing school was initially proposed to be set up at Jowai in 2012 but as per information, the government now is shifting the same to Baghmara,” he said.
“All the four MLAs especially Jowai MLA Wailadmiki Shylla should take full responsibility of this issue in case protest erupts against the government’s decision to shift the project to Garo Hills,” he added.
In the memorandum, Pasweth said, “We believe that Jowai, being a major town in the district deserves a nursing school to cater to the needs of our aspiring students.”
“All main districts in Meghalaya have their own nursing schools, but Jowai, despite being a significant town, lacks one. This disparity needs to be addressed. Jowai has sufficient healthcare infrastructure, including parental hospital, general ward, MCH and civil hospital, which can provide students with ample opportunities for practical training as per the syllabus,” he said while urging the government to consider the proposal “as a dire need for dedicated students who want to pursue nursing without having to suffer the financial burden of studying out of town.”
The HITO also sought the intervention of the minister into the lack of modern facilities and equipment in the Jowai civil hospital.
“As per our observation that the current state of health care in our district is substandard, the quality of care provided in our hospital and clinics are inadequate and there are several issues that need to be addressed,”it said.
The HITO also requested the minister to address the issue of shortage of manpower including doctors and nurses at the civil hospital and MCH hospital
It also requested the government to sanction an ambulance for the organization to cater to the need of the people of the district.