Inaugurated in Dec 2024, Arunachal’s Boleng Hospital Still Non-Functional, 25,000 Residents Suffer Without Critical Healthcare

Submitting a memorandum to Chief Minister Pema Khandu, the SDSU made 3 specific demands to address the crisis.

How long must the people of Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh risk death on mountain roads for basic treatment? Why does a hospital inaugurated with hope stand as a hollow structure today, offering no care, no doctors, no relief?

These are the questions haunting the 25,000 population of Boleng in, where the District Hospital inaugurated on December 19, 2024, remains non-operational, a broken promise in a region battling daily healthcare emergencies.

The Siang District Student’s Union today raised serious concerns over the continued non-functionality of the Boleng Hospital owing to unavailability of doctors.

In a statement, the SDSU said, ” The District Hospital was envisioned as a beacon of hope to serve approximately 25,000 population of the district. However, the absence of specialist Doctors, essential medical equipment and critical infrastructure has rendered it unable to fulfil this promise. As a result, the people of Siang District face immense hardships particularly in accessing timely Medical care in emergencies such as childbirth, severe injuries and life-threatening conditions. “

It also said that due to the dysfunctional hospital, patients are forced to undertake dangerous journeys -46 km to Aalo District Hospital or 93 km to Bakin Pertin General Hospital (BPGH) in Pasighat navigating mountainous terrain and landslide-prone routes, especially treacherous during the monsoon season.

It said, “The situation is particularly dire during the monsoon season, when frequent landslides, road blockages, flooding, often makes travel nearly impossible. For many families, especially those from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, the financial and logistical burden of such travel is overwhelming often leading to delayed or forgone treatment with tragic consequences. “

Submitting a memorandum to Chief Minister Pema Khandu, the SDSU made 3 specific demands to address the crisis.

The student body sought immediate deployment of qualified medical professionals at the hospital, including:
—Anesthesiologist
—Gynecologist
—Pediatrician
—Orthopaedic Surgeon
—General Surgeon

The SDSU urged the government to immediately post Medical Officers at the Community Health Centre (CHC) in Rumgong, Siang District, as per Indian Public Health Standards (IPHS). This would help bolster the public health delivery system in surrounding rural areas.

It said that currently, the district relies on an inadequate, under-resourced facility, so it demanded that the newly constructed District Hospital building be operationalised without further delay by transferring all services and staff to it.

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