Shillong, Oct 5: After the death of a child in need of medical care due to poor road net work, a multi-disciplinary team from the Health Department will conduct an on-ground field inspection at Domkyrkoh village, West Khasi Hills, on October 6.
The District Administration, West Khasi Hills took note of the recent death of the three-year-old child from the village while being taken for medical assistance.
A government statement said on Monday (Oct 5) that further visits will also be undertaken over the following days to assess the healthcare needs of the community and the challenges relating to accessibility and emergency medical response.
The health and administrative teams will submit detailed field reports on the healthcare requirements, transport and accessibility constraints, and other issues identified during the assessment, the statement said.
The findings will guide the district administration in taking appropriate and immediate measures to strengthen healthcare access and emergency response in the area.
Connectivity to Domkyrkoh
At the same time, the PWD (Roads) will pursue the necessary steps towards execution of the sanctioned Central Road and Infrastructure Fund,(CRIF) road project for providing permanent and improved connectivity to Domkyrkoh and the wider Mawdet region.
The District Administration expresses its concern over the loss of the child and reiterated its commitment to closely monitor the situation and take appropriate measures based on the findings of the departmental reports and field assessment.
The Administration has initiated steps to understand the circumstances surrounding the incident and to assess the healthcare, transport and road connectivity challenges faced by the residents of the area.
To establish the complete sequence of events and assess the ground realities, official reports have been sought from the Block Development Officer, Rambrai Block; District Medical & Health Officer (DMHO), West Khasi Hills; and the Executive Engineer, PWD (Roads). Detailed reports from the concerned offices are currently awaited.
Preliminary assessment
As per preliminary information, the child fell critically ill at Domkyrkoh and required medical attention. Domkyrkoh village falls under the healthcare coverage area of Mawkhiat Sub-Centre, a functional PM-ABHIM Sub-Centre which has been operational for the past year. The Sub-Centre is located approximately one and a half hours on foot from the village and falls under Rambrai PHC.
According to the statement, a Chief Minister’s Safe Motherhood Scheme (CMSMS) transport arrangement is available in the region for emergency patient transfers. However, preliminary information indicates that local health workers were not informed about the child’s illness before or during the onset of symptoms, and therefore the available local emergency transport mechanism could not be activated at that stage.
The incident also highlights the significant transportation difficulties faced by residents of Domkyrkoh. Vehicular access passes through Mainop village, and the road becomes non-motorable during adverse weather conditions and heavy rainfall. Public transport options in the area are also limited.
Road connectivity
The District Administration is also cognisant of the long-standing road connectivity challenges faced by Domkyrkoh and surrounding areas.
To address these challenges, the project “Road from 4th Km of Rambrai-Mawrok PMGSY Road to Nonglang via Domkyrkoh, Phase-I (10 Km)” has been sanctioned under the Central Road and Infrastructure Fund (CRIF).
The proposed road will provide direct connectivity to Domkyrkoh and improve access for the wider Mawdet area and adjoining habitations. Once completed, the project is expected to substantially improve all-weather mobility and access to healthcare, emergency services and other essential facilities, the government said.
