Shillong: Meghalaya deputy CM and PWD (Roads) minister Prestone Tynsong has urged the Opposition not to “politicize” the death of a three-year-old boy who was carried by his parents on foot for treatment in West Khasi Hills.The child, Habankyrshan Marbaniang, reportedly died in his mother’s arms on Oct 1 after his parents, unable to find a vehicle in their village, walked around 10 km to Mawdet to look for transport to the nearest health sub-centre.The sub-centre, under Rambrai primary health centre, is around one and a half hours away from Domkyrkoh village on foot.Tynsong said the incident occurred in an area that had never had a road since Meghalaya attained statehood. “… that village is one which never had a road. It is not that the condition of the road is bad, it is that there is no road at all,” Tynsong said.He said the govt had already initiated steps to address the long-standing demand for all-weather road connectivity in the area.“In the last few months, I laid the foundation stone to start the road from middle of Rambrai as the plan is to connect it up to Nongnah. We have sanctioned Rs 25 crore and preliminary work order has been issued,” he said.“We are trying to reach out to those habitations where connectivity is not there at all and we are committed to ensure every habitation is connected,” the deputy CM added.State health minister Wailadmiki Shylla described the child’s death as an “unfortunate” loss of a “precious life”. He said the incident was caused by connectivity problems and was not related to the availability of health services.Taking “serious note of the tragic death”, West Khasi Hills district administration has begun examining the circumstances surrounding the incident. It will also assess the healthcare, transport and road connectivity challenges faced by residents of the area.
