DERGAON, July 7 - The residents of greater Merapani area along the Assam-Nagaland border in Golaghat district have resented non-functioning of the newly- constructed model hospital at Kachamari.
The hospital, construction work of which was completed a year ago, is yet to be formally commissioned by the government for reasons best known to the powers that be.
The project of setting up a model hospital in every legislative constituency was started by the then Congress government in 2012.
Following implementation of this project, five such model hospitals were sanctioned for the district. With active participation of Golaghat MLA Ajanta Neog, the Kachamari hospital was started where Health Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma sanctioned the necessary fund allocation.
The hospital, it may be mentioned, was constructed at a cost of more than Rs 3 crore and was completed a year ago. But as to why no initiative has been taken to open the hospital for the people has puzzled the concerned tax-payers.
Incidentally, the other four such hospitals were opened even though some of them were sanctioned much later than this hospital.
The four model hospitals opened so far in the district are Nahordonga Model Hospital at Dergaon, Khumtai Model Hospital at Khumtai, Uriamghat Model Hospital at Sarupathar and Swahid Beda Baishnav Model Hospital at Bokakhat.
As a result of non-functioning of the hospital, approximately 2 lakh population in the greater periphery have been adversely affected due to lack of proper healthcare services. Most of the people residing in this remote area have to trudge either to Golaghat Civil Hospital, which is 50 kms away, or to Jorhat Medical College and Hospital, which is almost 100 kms off Merapani.
Though there are three hospitals in the area, Merapani Community Health Centre (CHC), Kachamari Mini Primary Health Centre and Soneswar Bora Hospital at Kalyanpur Sarupani, but permanent doctors are available only at Merapani CHC.
Earlier, the Joint Director of Health Services at Golaghat Dr Ratul Chandra Bordoloi told The Assam Tribune that construction work of Kachamari hospital had been completed and it was ready to be opened shortly.
�A doctor and sufficient staff, including pharmacist, nurses, Grade-IV personnel have been appointment against the hospital. But due to non-opening of the hospital by the government, they have been attached with other hospitals in the district�, the Joint Director of Health Services informed.
�Furniture has also been supplied to the hospital as it will be opening shortly,� Bordoloi said.
�Though the hospital at Uriamghat and Bokakhat were sanctioned later than the one at Kachamari, but that were opened earlier. The reason of neglecting the hospital in this remote as well as border area is not known to us,� Pabitra Das, a resident of Merapani said.
Under the circumstances, the residents of this remote area have urged the government to open the hospital at an early date in order to provide healthcare services to the needy patients in this remote area.
