[ Karyir Riba ]
ANINI, 12 Jun: Dibang Valley Zilla Parishad Chairperson (ZPC) Theko Tayu has raised concern over the unavailability of any attending doctor at the PHC in Etalin block for the last many years.
Tayu informed that, after years, when a doctor was finally posted to the PHC last month, the doctor never arrived at the PHC as he was temporarily appointed at the DCH in Chimpu, given the ongoing pandemic situation.
“Shockingly, now it is learnt that the said doctor has been transferred to Kurung Kumey district instead of joining the Etalin PHC as designated earlier,” said Tayu, and expressed deep resentment over “such negligent attitude by both the authority concerned and the said doctor.”
The Dibang Valley DMO confirmed that the doctor who had been posted to the Etalin PHC a month back was put into service at the Chimpu DCH. “Now he has been transferred to some other district. So, the Etalin PHC is without a doctor for the last three years,” he informed.
As per reports, the Etalin PHC also tends to the people of Arzoo and Anelih blocks, meaning that more than 3,000 people of the area are dependent on the Etalin PHC for their medical needs, which, unfortunately, is running without a doctor.
Located in the middle belt of Dibang Valley district, the area is at a considerable distance from both Dibang Valley HQ Anini and Lower Dibang Valley HQ Roing, making it difficult for the people of the area to avail proper medical facilities at the district hospitals in Anini and Roing.
Tayu said that they have been demanding that the Etalin PHC be upgraded to a CHC, but to no avail. “When we demand for a doctor to be posted at the PHC, we are told that doctors are not available because of shortage. And when we demand an upgrade of the PHC to a CHC, we are told that the population of the area is not enough and doesn’t meet the criteria for a CHC,” he said.
“Whenever there are talks of developmental projects in the state, Dibang Valley is always dragged into these talks. However, when the time comes to actually do something for the district, we are given step-motherly treatment by the government,” said Tayu.
“Etalin block is the nerve system of the entire middle Dibang Valley, and we really expect the government to at least improve the healthcare facilities here. A start can surely be made by making a doctor available at the Etalin PHC,” said the ZPC.
