HT Bureau
GUWAHATI, April 8: At the Raitong health and wellness sub center in Umsning Block in Ri Bhoi district of Meghalaya, a ray of new hope has entered villagers’ inner consciousness. The hope of the villagers here is that anytime an expectant mother gets the labour pain, her family can rely on this sub center as it is solar equipped and interrupted power supply can no longer play the spoilsport.
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Selco Foundation, an NGO with the help of Meghalaya state government has installed the solar panels here along with other 99 sub centers across all districts in the state. The center in Raitong was equipped with suction apparatus, baby warmer, and vaccine storage refrigerator last year, and so the institutional deliveries have just doubled and the number reached 22, while 10 deliveries could be done in the year 2020. Steadfast effort bore gratifying fruits as the efficiency of this center on the energy front improved noticeably.
Craggy roads in the mountainscape of Raitong have always been a challenge whenever some health emergency situations are faced. In Shillong, people have options to choose from many good hospitals to access better treatment facilities, just about 35 kilometers away in the north east direction- Raitong village, this sub center plays a crucial role in ensuring better access to health facilities for poor people.
Village Headman of Raitong- Enel Wahphlag takes pride in stating how the solar equipped sub center has helped people in a big way. He narrated that earlier what this sub center meant to people was a place to avail medicines. In the same breath, he added but it is not just that anymore. “Here now the staff are conducting deliveries in good numbers, ensuring both antenatal and postnatal care. This upgradation of the center with the solar equipment has made a great deal of impact as people tend to opt for institutional deliveries rather than home deliveries now.”
