The alarm raised by the Ao Kaketshir Mungdang (AKM) over the substandard construction of the Dr Imkongliba Memorial District Hospital (IMDH) in Mokokchung must not be taken lightly. It is more than a construction flaw; it is a reflection of what we are becoming as a society. It is a wake-up call.
Large-scale public projects such as hospitals or national highways come to remote districts like ours perhaps once in a generation, if not a century. These are transformative opportunities meant to uplift not just us, but those who come after. When such rare blessings are delayed, mishandled, or built with inferior materials, the consequences are irreversible. The damage goes far beyond cement and steel; it is not just concrete that cracks, it is our collective future.
AKM’s site inspection found cracks from the ground to the top floor and plaster already peeling, even before completion. This is not mere oversight; it is dangerous negligence. Despite being sanctioned in 2018 under the National Health Mission, the hospital remains incomplete, structurally questionable, and behind multiple deadlines. Even more troubling is the indication that inferior materials may have already been used in the foundation.
The situation with IMDH is emblematic of a deeper systemic dysfunction, a symptom of a larger malaise: a system where accountability is absent, timelines are meaningless, mediocrity is tolerated, and quality is sacrificed at the altar of convenience or corruption. The more unsettling truth is that we, the public, accept it in silence.
How did it come to this? Have we grown too accustomed to dysfunction? Apathy, silence, and the normalization of dysfunction are symptoms of a society in decay.
We deserve better, but only if we act like we do. We must hold our institutions accountable, insist on transparency, and stop tolerating compromise as the norm.
This isn’t just about a building. It’s about the kind of society we’re allowing to take shape. If we don’t draw the line now, we may find there’s nothing left to stand on.
In this environment, AKM’s vigilance deserves praise – not just for raising the alarm, but for reminding us that the price of progress is eternal vigilance. It is now our collective duty to demand transparency, accountability, and technical evaluation of this and every public project.