On Indo-China border, NGO-run health centres outshine govt hospitals in Arunachal

Government health infrastructure in Arunachal Pradesh’s Anjaw district, which borders China and Myanmar, is struggling with acute shortages of doctors and specialists, leaving residents dependent on hospitals outside the district or on health centres run in partnership with NGOs.

The Kalikho Pul Memorial District Hospital in Hayuliang, the district’s main government facility, suffers from a lack of manpower and absence of specialists, particularly gynaecologists. This has forced many residents to seek treatment in Tezu Zonal Hospital or even travel as far as Dibrugarh in Assam.

In contrast, Primary Health Centres (PHCs) run by Karuna Trust in border towns like Kaho and Walong under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model have emerged as lifelines, offering regular care, free medicines, and improved access to health services in these remote regions.

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Anjaw Deputy Commissioner Millo Kojin urged the state Health Department to urgently depute specialists to the district hospital, warning that the lack of services is pushing people out of the district for even basic treatments. He, however, lauded Karuna Trust’s contribution in improving health access in border areas.

Dr. Ramesh Jakir, Medical Officer at Walong PHC, informed that Karuna Trust began its PPP initiative in Arunachal Pradesh in 2005 with a centre in Kurung Kumey and has since expanded to 13 PHCs across the state. The model aims to strengthen public health delivery and provide quality healthcare to underserved populations irrespective of their socio-economic status.

The health centres, especially in Anjaw’s remote border belt, are today playing a crucial role in bridging the gap left by inadequate government health infrastructure.