Due to change in lifestyles and dietary habits, Non-Communicable Diseases has been gaining prominence in the country. In a remote village under Phuentshogling Gewog, a newly opened Health Centre in its capacity is helping people manage NCDs. The Lingdaen Primary Health Centre opened just a few months ago, has been seeing more NCD cases than any other.
The travel distance between Phuentshogling and Lingdaen is over two hours by car. But in summer, the monsoon rains cut off the chiwog very often with landslides and roadblocks.
Thus, getting health services has always been difficult for the residents. The opening of a primary health centre has come to their rescue. It has been giving basic health services.
The centre is seeing mostly NCD cases. In just over a month, it recorded about 40 NCD cases out of which 10 were new.
Lingdaen PHC’s Health Assistant Neten Dorji said, “It has been about a month since the centre opened. And in that period, most people who came to the centre were those with NCDs. The most common NCD cases I have seen here are diabetes and blood pressure-related cases.”
Chimmi Rai, a resident from Malbasi said, “earlier, when we had to go to the Phuentshogling hospital, it was expensive. It would cost Nu 500 per person. Now with the centre here, we don’t have to go down to Phuentshogling.
“People are very happy because people don’t have to go to Phuentshogling any longer to fetch medicine and for vaccinations,” said Ashman Rai, a resident from Lingdaen.
The primary health centre is however not fully equipped. There is also just one Health Assistant who has to manage everything from treating patients to cleaning the centre and handling the administrative work.
Ashman Rai said, “right now, I think there is a lack of some basic important equipment in the centre. Also, there is just one health assistant. So it is difficult for him to manage the centre alone and also if he goes out to attend workshops and meetings, there will be no one to attend to the patients. So, we would be grateful if the government could work on it.”
Health Assistant Neten Dorji said, “since it is a new centre, some important equipment are missing. We still do not have equipment like autoclaves which are used to sterilize instruments and then oxygen cylinders. But I think we will be getting it very soon.”
As people eagerly wait for the centre to get fully equipped, they are happy that they no longer have to travel to Phuentshogling to get basic health services. There are more than 250 households in Lingdaen Chiwog.
Kinley Dem
Edited by Yeshi Gyaltshen
