District hospital Kiphire has been marred with poor infrastructure and ghost employees and even basic facilities like X-ray and ultra sound are not available in the hospital.
Interacting with this correspondent, an official at the hospital said they have been rendering service with the little they have. When enquired about the staffing pattern it was learnt that anesthetics specialist posted at district hospital Kiphire was attached to district hospital Dimapur, and the whereabouts of a senior dentist also posted at district hospital Kiphire was unknown as he has been missing for years.
It was also noted that the ENT doctor posted at district hospital visits.As per Indian standard of Health Standard there should be minimum 18 staff nurse, 9 specialists, 7 general doctors in 31-50 bedded hospital, but the district hospital Kiphire which has 38 bedded hospital has one regular gynecologist, one contract doctor appointed from NRHM and Ayush doctor and 11 staff nurse working in the district hospital.
A dentist posted at the hospital revealed he has to manage with his own equipments as the government has sent dental chairs but the compressor was non-functional and even the tool kit sent by the department was said to be outdated.
The hospital also lacks proper running water, sanitation and electricity. Some of the senior members from civil societies commenting on the health status in the district pointed out that under the pretext of improvement of health standard, lakhs of rupee are spent on health camps in and around Pungro, and that such programmes were like “picnic” rather than a health camp.
The United Sangtam Students Conference, the apex student organization was also learnt to have submitted a representation to the Principal Director Health and Family Welfare to redress the problem faced by the people to improve the standard of the district hospital in Kiphire.