A child aged three from Domkyrkoh village in West Khasi Hills died while being taken for medical assistance, prompting the district administration to request detailed reports from the Block Development Officer of Rambrai Block, the District Medical and Health Officer, and the Executive Engineer of PWD (Roads). The inquiry aims to reconstruct the sequence of events and evaluate the healthcare, transport, and road connectivity challenges that affect residents of this remote area.
Preliminary information indicates that the child became critically ill in Domkyrkoh and required urgent care. The village falls under the Mawkhiat Sub‑Centre, a PM‑ABHIM sub‑centre that has been operational for about a year, yet the centre is roughly one and a half hours on foot from Domkyrkoh. Health Minister Wailadmiki Shylla noted that the incident underscored the persistent connectivity issues in the district, adding that the health department was not alerted to the child’s condition until it was too late. She also mentioned that an ASHA worker had not been informed, further delaying emergency response.
The district administration highlighted that an emergency transport arrangement under the Chief Minister’s Safe Motherhood Scheme (CMSMS) exists for patient transfers, but the local health workers were not notified when the child’s symptoms first appeared, preventing activation of the mechanism. Vehicular access to Domkyrkoh is via Mainop, but the road becomes non‑motorable during heavy rainfall, and public transport is limited. Shylla said the government is working to improve connectivity, including proposals for four‑wheel‑drive ambulances for hard‑to‑reach areas, and is conducting a study on the placement of medical facilities to reduce travel distances for villagers.
A 10‑km road project from the 4th kilometre of the Rambrai‑Mawrok PMGSY Road to Nonglang via Domkyrkoh has already been sanctioned under the Central Road and Infrastructure Fund (CRIF) and is expected to provide direct connectivity to the village, improving access to healthcare and emergency services. A multidisciplinary Health Department team will visit Domkyrkoh on October 6 to assess healthcare needs and emergency response issues, after which health and administrative teams will submit reports. The findings will guide immediate measures to strengthen healthcare access and emergency response, while the PWD (Roads) will advance the sanctioned CRIF road project. The administration expressed concern over the child’s death and pledged to monitor the situation and implement appropriate measures based on the forthcoming reports and field assessments.
