The Meghalaya government is reviewing the distribution of healthcare facilities in remote areas after an infant died in its mother’s arms as she trekked for nearly three hours to reach a motorable road in West Khasi Hills, Health Minister Wailadmiki Shylla said.
The incident has highlighted the difficulties faced by residents of inaccessible villages in reaching medical care in time. Shylla said the government was conducting a study to assess the availability and location of medical facilities, particularly in remote villages.
“Now we are coming up with a study regarding the presence of medical facilities, to make sure that villagers should not travel very far to reach services,” the minister said, adding that the exercise would take some time.
Shylla said the child was brought dead to the health facility and described the case primarily as a connectivity issue. He acknowledged that poor connectivity continued to hamper access to healthcare in several parts of the state.
The minister also said the Health Department had not received prior information about the case and that the family had not contacted health officials or the local Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) worker.
Alongside the healthcare assessment, the government is working to improve road connectivity and emergency transport in hard-to-reach areas. A proposal has been made to deploy 4×4 ambulances in locations where conventional ambulances cannot easily reach patients.
Shylla said improving healthcare access would require coordinated action across sectors rather than focusing on roads alone.
“It is the endeavour of the government to give connectivity in each and every village. We cannot prioritise only road connectivity because everything has to be done simultaneously,” he said.
“We are sincere in our commitment. Most areas we have been able to connect; more projects are coming, and we are trying our level best to ensure connectivity reaches hard-to-reach areas,” the minister added.
