Border PHC in ruins: 70 villages left struggling for healthcare in Meghalaya
Officials confirmed that the building has been in disrepair for years & the roof needs urgent replacement
Shillong, July 7: After visuals of students studying in the rain under a roofless school in West Garo Hills sparked outrage, a leaking roof at the Aradonga Public Health Centre (PHC) in West Khasi Hills has further exposed the crumbling state of Meghalaya’s public infrastructure - this time in healthcare.
The Aradonga PHC, located near the remote Meghalaya-Assam border, serves over 23,000 people across 70 villages, including residents from neighbouring Hahim in Assam. But instead of being a lifeline, the centre is barely functional - its roof leaks over the in-patient department, store room, and minor operation theatre, rendering them nearly unusable.
“This building has been in disrepair for years. The roof needs urgent replacement,” a health department official confirmed.
In a letter dated May 30, Medical Officer in-charge Dr S Shadap raised alarm over the deteriorating condition of the centre. Addressed to the District Medical and Health Officer (DMHO) in Nongstoin, the letter highlighted multiple concerns: The male and female wards and store room cannot be used due to the leaking roof. The labour room is overcrowded, with no space for lab technicians to operate efficiently. The toilet doors and frames are damaged or eaten away by termites, and the drainage system is inadequate and poses hygiene risks.
“This building is quite old and there has been no roof maintenance for years. Kindly intervene to replace the entire roof,” Dr Shadap wrote.
The DMHO office responded on June 5, directing the Sub-Divisional Officer in Nongstoin to take immediate action. However, no repairs have been carried out to date, sources confirmed.