Dr Asangba Tzudir
The report of the First medical college in Phriebagie, Nagaland that it was nearing completion brings a sense of relief in the context of the growing health sector in Nagaland. This was also a long felt desire of the state. The Annual Administrative Report 2022-23 of the Department of Health & Family Welfare which was tabled in the recently concluded 14 NLA mentioned that the first Academic session will start by 2023-2024 once the Letter of Permission (LoP) is granted by the National Medical Council (NMC). With the approval of another medical college at Mon by the Government of India, hopefully soon Nagaland will have its second Medical College.
The Covid-19 pandemic has really revamped the Hospitals and infrastructure in Nagaland, though a lot needs to be done on the growth of health sector in Nagaland where many people especially in the rural areas do not have access to basic healthcare facilities, while many in the remote areas have to travel long distance just to get to the nearest hospital or health centers.
However, the intent is to press upon the underlying aspect of healthcare delivery in Nagaland. Even the best hospitals with the most advanced infrastructure and equipments will fail in its health care delivery if the aspect of healthcare is not addressed.
While managing the available resources is an integral aspect of healthcare delivery, and because of the way in which healthcare delivery presents newer challenges, a lot of practical considerations need to be in place especially while dealing with emergency situations. It is also expected both as a moral minimum to professionally handle the various situations.
The frailty of human nature and the various negligence on the part of the healthcare personnel’s is bound to happen at various points of time because of the routine nature of the work. And this is something which one should be mindful of at all times because at stake is life, and it is the few precious moments within which a person can be saved or let die.
Often equipment failure is beyond human control and therefore test checks needs to be done so also to see that ready replacements are available in the event of failure of equipment failure. To cite an instance, one would expect that oxygen cylinders and regulators are kept ready especially while conducting a major surgery. It is also a professional minimum. However, a patient requiring oxygen after surgery was made to wait just because there was no oxygen regulator. Such precious time lost needs to be gauged because that is the time when a patient dies instead of getting recovered.
Timely and proper intervention while providing healthcare is one of the most foundational aspects that needs to be greatly addressed, because, it is just a matter of human negligence or the frailty of humans that costs life. And in many cases the death of the patient is generally attributed to ‘bad luck.’
On the whole, beyond the infrastructure and the healthcare facilities, the aspect of delivery which lie at the heart of human functioning is in need of professional dedication.
(Dr Asangba Tzudir contributes a weekly guest editorial to The Morung Express. Comments can be emailed to [email protected])
