Our Correspondent
Mon | September 13
It has been two years since Ngunngam stepped out of her house in Tangnyu Village of Mon District. From behind the cloth covered face, the 60 year old woman says that she cannot remember the last time she was free of pain. What started like a small pimple on the right side of her nose a few years back has eaten away the flesh around her entire nose which now lies exposed on her face. Though the wound itself does not hurt, Ngunngam says that she suffers from a constant headache however, more than the physical pain is the mental and psychological implications of having an exposed nose. The mother of four children has stopped all socialising and in fact stopped going out of her house altogether. In addition to that, Nganngam has also had to face subtle as well as overt forms of isolation like how her clothes are not washed along with the rest of the family and also when people shy away from any contact with her.
After so many years, Ngunngam found a reason to step out of her house today when the Medical Department of Mon district organised a Village Health and Nutrition Day at Tangnyu Village. Though unable to help with the actual treatment, Dr. Vijay Kumar, Medical Officer of Tang PHC, diagnosed Ngunngam with malignant ulcer. He opined that the correct type of malignancy would be identified only after biopsy for which he referred the patient to Dibrugarh or Guwahati and prescribing her with some antibiotics, pain killers and ointment for the time being. Ngunngam is the wife of a small time farmer whose children work as household help in other people’s houses so that they can afford to study. Therefore, she is doubtful as to whether she will be able to seek further medical attention in Guwahati as referred but she still thankful for the handful of free medicines she has received from the doctors today.
Ngunngam is just one of the many people who were treated today during this village health and nutrition day in the village. About 300 patients, especially women and children were catered to by the group of doctors, nurses and medical staff who visited the village. Immunization, eye check-up, ante natal check up, tuberculosis testing and other general check up was carried by the doctors led by Chief medical Officer, Mon, Dr. T. Kikon. The other doctors present were Medical Superintendent, DH Mon, Dr. MA Wati, District Immunization Officer, Dr. S. Mukherjee, District Tuberculosis Officer, Dr. Imyangluba Ao, Medical Officer Tang PHC, Dr. Vijay Kumar and Medical Officer of Changlangshu PHC, Dr. Ngampa Konyak.
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