Rowell Lyngdoh flags off the ambulance service in West Garo Hills
Meghalaya deputy chief minister (in-charge of health) Rowell Lyngdoh formally launched the 108 Emergency Ambulance Services, also known as “Wheels of Hope”, at the Phulbari community health centre in West Garo Hills on June 12.
Lyngdoh launched the emergency ambulance service at a function on the premises of the health centre.
The new service will satisfy a long felt need of the people of remote Phulbari town under Dadenggre sub-division, who have been deprived of basic health facilities.
Earlier, the residents of the town had to depend on facilities available at the community health centre since no ambulances were available in the area to take the patients to Tura Civil Hospital.
Speaking at the function, local MLA A.T. Mondal and food and civil supplies minister Augustine Marak dwelt on the advantages of the newly launched ambulance services and their ability to handle emergencies as well as other cases related to police and fire hazards.
Lyngdoh asked the people to use the service, as it would benefit the people during an emergency.
He said the ambulance service, operational elsewhere in the state, have served people well.
The launch of the ambulance service, which is also an initiative of the Meghalaya government, he added, was a step forward in bringing health facilities closer to the people.
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| Lou Majaw performs in Shillong on World Music Day. Picture by Eastern Projections |
Separated from the herd by floodwaters, a six-month-old elephant calf joined a group of nine orphaned elephant calves at the Centre for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation near the Kaziranga National Park recently.
The calf, with inflammation in its left foreleg, was found on the banks of the Jia-Bhoroli river near Chariduar reserve forest in Sonitpur district.
“We rescued the calf and sent it to the rehabilitation centre,” a forest official at Kaziranga said.
Forest personnel first launched a search operation to track the herd so that the calf could be released.
However, they failed to locate the herd after searching continuously for two days.
“When we failed to find the herd, we had no option but to send the calf to wildlife rehabilitation centre near Kaziranga,” the official added.
A veterinarian at the rehabilitation centre said the calf was recovering well and being fed milk regularly.
Footnote
Shillong celebrated World Music Day with a concert at the Laban Sports Club on June 22.
Several music bands of the city performed at the concert with punk, jazz, blues, rock and roll besides other genres, satiating appetites of many a music buff that thronged the venue.
Guitarist-singer Lou Majaw, the brain behind the show, said he was happy that he could organise the concert and bring several musicians under one roof to celebrate music.
“We are making a little contribution to have the feel of music and this is an occasion to celebrate music,” he added.
For guitarist Rangdap Cooper Kharshiing, the occasion provided an opportunity to showcase his talent.