Demand for better health facilities in Lahaul-Spiti

Tribune News Service

Shimla, July 26

Several retired bureaucrats and pradhans of Lahaul-Spiti have demanded improvement in the health facilities in the tribal district, which remains snow bound for several months in the winters.

In a joint representation addressed to CM Jai Ram Thakur, some prominent residents of Lahaul Spiti have demanded better health services in the district, which is strategically located on the Indo-Tibetan border. Those who submitted the joint representation include 15 gram pradhans of the district, a Kirti Chakra awardee, three retired Chief Secretaries, three former Directors General of Police, many retired Chief Medical Officers and a former WHO Director.

The issue of poor health facilities has become even more crucial in the context of the ongoing Covid pandemic. “The rugged mountainous terrain, extremely harsh climatic conditions accompanied by heavy snowfall during winter months combine to severely impact the living and to make matters worse inhabitants of the district have to contend with the challenge of the poor state of health facilities,” said Dr Jai Prakash Narain, former Director, Communicable Diseases, WHO Regional Office for South-East Asia.

The local residents said for the last many years, all seven sanctioned posts of medical specialists in Lahaul have been lying vacant. There are no specialist doctors in Lahaul Valley. As a result, a large number of patients, who need medical care, have to be taken to hospitals in Kullu. Similarly, there is not a single post of specialist in the entire Spiti valley. Therfore, patients from Spiti have to be referred to hospitals in far away places like Reckong Peo, Rampur and even Shimla.

So many vacancies in the health institutions is a major cause of concern, said Narain. “In view of the prevailing difficult times with the pandemic still evolving, people are hoping that the government will take urgent steps to ensure proper healthcare facilities by filling vacancies of specialist doctors and para-medical staff in Lahaul Spiti district,” he remarked.

The locals pointed out that the pitiable plight of health services is evident from the fact that regional hospital at Keylong has neither an intensive care unit, nor a blood bank. The district also seems to be unprepared for tackling Covid since four positive cases, all belonging to the BRO, had to be shifted out with there being no facility in the district. They fear for the worst in winters as in the absence of specialists to take care of Covid patients people will have to fend for themselves. The helicopter service is available occasionally and irregularly and on most occasions, is not available at the time of emergency, they lamented.