By The Editor
None can dispute the fact that education and health are primary assets for any society to grow and prosper. Education creates awareness for individuals to take care of themselves and equips them with knowledge and skill to rise up and face challenges with courage and confidence. Health is primary requisite for any person to work and earn one’s living effectively with least hindrance. In present-day world, educated and healthy citizens can contribute much to progress and development of society. It is quite common in democratic countries especially when general elections are approaching to woo voters with attractive promises and slogans whether they can fulfill them or not. Governments will publicize what they have achieved and try to work much harder during the last few remaining weeks and months whereas opposition parties will quite often try their utmost to maliciously project only the negative aspects and ignore the rest no matter how good and beneficial they might be. Common people and even educated ones get confused at times and therefore avoid to be hasty in jumping to conclusion.
Health sector has been given greater attention by the state during these past few years and successful efforts have paid rich dividends, credit for which goes to the NPP- led MDA (Meghalaya Democratic Alliance) government headed by Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma and to all the officers and staffs of health department. On Sunday December 11, the State received an award at national level for achieving target of operationalising 448 Health and Wellness Centers (HWCs) under Ayushman Bharat Comprehensive Primary Health Coverage program. Two-day convention “Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Day 2022” was held in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh organized by Union Ministry of health and Family Welfare. The award was received by Ram Kumar S, Mission Director of National Health Mission (NHM), Meghalaya and Dr. Rilynti Lyngdoh, Joint Director, Health Services, Meghalaya. Expressing happiness and gratitude, Dr.Lyngdoh praised all those involved for their dedication especially Mid-Level Health Providers (MLHPs) at field level. HWCs in Meghalaya have provided over 60,000 tele-consultation services within a year, which is second highest number among North Eastern states.
Health care is very vital for all irrespective of age, occupation and class and hence none should play cheap politics for selfish and short terms gains. Rather political parties are expected to prioritize health care with special mention it in their election manifesto. Political parties abide by public opinions and therefore civil societies ought to be more vocal on issues of health for all. In spite of attempts by successive governments, yet infant mortality rate (IMR), maternal mortality rate (MMR), and child mortality rate (CMR) are not declining as expected. Medicines are becoming expensive and so government can relieve people’s difficulties to great extent if all drugs, vaccines and medical devices are produced by public sector undertakings. Government should also pay more attention to workload and welfare of all categories of health personnel and more importantly on salary and service conditions.