Even as the number of Covid-19 cases and deaths related to it continue to rise, the report of unavailability of doctors at the PHC in Etalin block in Dibang Valley district has come as a shock. Dibang Valley Zilla Parishad Chairperson (ZPC) Theko Tayu on Saturday alleged that no doctor has been attending the said PHC for the last many years. This is a worrying report as in the second wave Covid-19 cases have been reported from both Lower Dibang Valley and Dibang Valley districts. Also, in the last three days itself, 15 people have died from Covid-19 in the state.
The state government has recruited a lot of doctors in recent years. There is a need for rationalizing the transfer and posting of doctors. A large number of doctors remain posted in the urban areas, especially in the Itanagar capital region, and in the district headquarters. There are many PHCs like the one in Etalin where doctors are not posted. In some cases, doctors spend time in district headquarters and never join their places of posting. It is time the state government, the health department in particular, rationalized the transfer and posting of healthcare workers, especially doctors and nurses. The politicians, in particular the MLAs, should not interfere in the process. The transfer and posting should be done based on need and taking into account the ground realities.