Tipaimukh, December 08: Frequent outbreak of Malaria has become a scourge for the god-forsaken people of Tipaimukh and Parbung sub-divisions, with as many as 24, with most of them being a minor including a six month old child succumbing to the disease so far this year alone.

Located along the Barak river, on the southernmost part of Manipur and bordering Myanmar, Mizoram and Assam, there is no doctor to look after the medical needs of the people in these two subdivisions.

In the absence of doctors and other medical personnel, the lone compounder of the area, who has retired from service, has been performing the task of a doctor even to the extent of conducting minor operations on the patients.

A joint team of Democratic Students� Alliance of Manipur (DESAM) and mediapersons had recently gone to these remote sub-divisions which fall under Churachandpur district to meet the villagers and understand their problems.

The villagers informed that in all, eight students studying in a convent English school at Kangrengdor village situated on the bank of Barak river died from Malaria besides another eight children from Jaundice this year.

The team also came across two children who were still suffering from Jaundice.

Located at a distance of 56 kms from Jiribam and which can be accessed through waterways as the easiest mode of communication and transport on the Barak river, there is no medical facilities, to speak of, at the village.

It is a great problem for the villagers to bring their ailing children for treatment at the hospitals, apart from the financial difficulties being faced by them.

The identities of the children who have succumbed to Malaria between July and November this year in the village which lies under Tipaimukh sub-division, as informed by the villagers, are Laltumhlen (class-II), Ramniesien (Kg class), Immanuel (Nursery), Doinemlien (class-I), Lalmalsawn (class-V), Lalpreingroul (Nursery), Honingthami (Nursery) and Elizabeth (Nursery).

The people of village, which ironically, also happens to be the Constituency from where former Health Minister and current Deputy Chairman of State Planning Board Dr Chaltonlien and current Deputy Chairman of State Planning Board Dr Chaltonlien Amo had been elected, have much to complaint against the Government.

Village Authority Chairman of Parbung Darsuokham told the team that 13 people have died from Malaria this year.

He identified the victims as Lawnma (75), LB Rama (75), Lallienkim (18), Thuonkim (60), Thuoilium (25), Lalhluthang (13), Boutsei (60), Elie (15) and Lalthoiruok (one and half years).

There is no doctor or nurse in the Community Health Centre in the village, which was inaugurated while W Nipamacha was the Chief Minister, he informed.

Interestingly, one Thangthrum Hmar, who retired from service as compounder (Grade-IV) from Parbung CHC long ago, has been shuffling between Tipaimukh and Parbung divisions, acting like a doctor providing medical succor to the villagers, even to the extent of performing minor operation on the patients, if required.

Talking to mediapersons at Parbung, 73-year old Thangthrum said that retired from service in 1988, but has been continuing to render his medical service as there is no doctor or nurse to look after the patients in the area.

No doctor or nurse had been ever posted in the Parbung Community health Centre for the last 10 years, he said, while informing that Dr Chaltonlien Amo had served in the said CHC as a doctor.

Villagers from far-flung areas came to his house bringing sick patients carrying them on a bamboo-made stretchers for treatment at his residence, he informed, adding that he do not take money from the villagers.

The villagers are worried would look after their medical needs after his death, he said, adding that the villagers have constructed a medical Centre called Calvary Hospital and he had up the responsibility of imparting whatever medical knowledge he learnt to two other villagers.

Comment