Shillong
The District Medical and Health Officer (DMHO) East Khasi Hills informed that a team from the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) cell will be visiting Shella on April 28 to conduct an investigation for verification of the cases and identifying the source of illness while admitting to shortage of medicines due to a transition of procurement of drugs in the state.
The DMHO replied to the letter written by the Hynniewtrep Youth Council (HYC) Shella unit in connection with the treatment of typhoid fever cases at Shella PHC and Ichamati CHC.
The organisation recently has also called upon the DMHO to conduct a necessary inquiry into the causes of the high fever (which may be cases of typhoid fever) amongst the residents of Shella village and its adjoining areas.
The DMHO mentioned that there is a shortage of medicines at present at Shella PHC and Ichamati CHC as there is a transition of procurement of drugs from the state to the newly constituted corporation – Meghalayan Medical Drugs & Services Limited (MMDSL).
The DMHO is submitting to the DHS (MI) MMDSL the list of drugs that are required to combat the current crisis.
Further, the DMHO stated that a letter has been issued to all facilities including Shella and Ichamati to conduct an awareness programme on the symptoms, causes, treatment, and prevention of the diseases.
Recently, the HYC urged the DMHO to take serious note of the non-availability of important life-saving medicines in Shella PHC and Ichamati CHC, under Sohra Civil Sub-Division.
The organisation narrated an incident where a young patient, with a high fever, visited Shella PHC on April 25, 2023, and during investigation, it was found that he had typhoid fever but it was found that the PHC cannot treat him there due to non-availability of medicines and was referred to Ichamati CHC which is around 13-15kms away.
However, on reaching the Ichamati CHC, he was informed that the necessary medicines are also not available in the CHC at present and hence he was further referred to Sohra CHC, which is around 45 kms from Shella Village.