Yaongyimchen Health Centre: By the community, for the community

Limasenla Jamir
Longleng | May 27  

The unavailability of health centres or the existence of ghost health centres in villages of Nagaland State is a common phenomenon. The case of Yaongyimchen village is no different. Only, this village has turned the tide by setting up its own health centre.  

A small building with two beds and a locker to store medicines, the Yaongyimchen Community Health Centre is catering to the needs of the villagers and working towards improving the health and living conditions of the people.

 Yaongyimchen is a Phom Naga village in Longleng district situated about 15 km away from Changtongya town in Mokokchung district. The village has existed, they say, for more than a thousand years. Yet, Nagaland State has been unable to provide a basic health centre in the village till date. The Village Council had put up requests for the same twice, in 2012 and 2013, but no response came from the Nagaland State Government.  

So the village took matters into its own hands. Yaongyimchen village established a community health centre in 2012. This health centre is maintained and run by the community without any aid from the government.  

“While waiting for the government to do something for the village people, we have lost many lives. We could not afford to lose more lives when they can be saved. Therefore, we decided on setting up the health centre on our own,” said Yangpong, the Yaongyimchen Village Council chairperson, while speaking to The Morung Express.  

A committee set up by the Yaongyimchen Village Council looks after the community health centre. It has two ANM trained nurses, Caroline and Phula, and a compounder who voluntarily attends to the community health service every Tuesday and Friday. The committee pays the workers remuneration.  

Medicines at the health centre are bought from the neighbouring towns and sold to patients at a discounted rate. Every Tuesday and Friday patients, including those from neighbouring villages, throng to the health centre to avail basic treatment.  

“Even though it is difficult to maintain a health centre with no financial or other aids from the government, we are trying our best to help the villagers. If only the government can help us with at least the supply of medicines, it will help us economically and also the villagers won’t have to spend much,” noted a member of the Yaongyimchen Village Council.  

Longleng is located in a remote area and has no proper road connectivity between its villages. Additionally, due to the economic conditions of villagers, it is difficult for the people to take the sick to good hospitals. With the establishment of the health centre in Yaongyimchen,the villagers as well as people from the nearby villages can avail emergency and basic treatment before they can be taken to better hospitals.  

“There was a time when patients would rush to Longleng and Mokokchung even to get an injection or to treat emergency wounds and cuts. Thanks to our community health centre, now we don’t have to incur a huge cost for basic medical services,” said Longkang, a 60 year old who is a regular visitor to the health centre.  

Though not equipped with modern facilities and infrastructure, the health centre helps save the lives of neglected villagers.