Sikkim Progressive Youth Forum (SPYF) will take out a foot march ‘Chalo Gangtok’ from West District headquarter, Gyalshing to the capital city of Gangtok to press for its demand of better medical facilities at the district hospital.
The march will start on Sunday from Gyalshing and scheduled to reach Gangtok on January 24.
Addressing a press conference in Gangtok on Thursday, SPYF member, Rupen Karki stated that as the government took the serious demand of the people of West Sikkim very lightly compelling the organization to take out this march.
He added that the foot march ‘Chalo Gangtok’ was an initiative to make the government hear the voice of the people louder.
“On August 3 last year, Health Minister gave a written assurance that IPHS norms for 100 bedded District Hospital Gyalshing will be achieved within one month and remaining equipments will be taken care of within three months,” he informed.
On the same vein, he stated that even after more than three months now just little changes have come in the hospital but when it comes to achieving the implementation of IPHS provision not even 50 per cent of the requirements were fulfilled.
He informed that few specialists were appointed and numbers of nurses were increased and few new machines were installed in the district hospital but the most basic health services like ultra-sonography and others were not available in the hospital.
“Now the people will march to Gangtok to meet the government and to place the demands and our movement will be over only after the materialization of all our demands in reality. No assurance we believe now,” Karki said.
The organization also demanded that the Health Minister should resign on moral ground for failing to fulfil his written words.