Longkhum achiever lands first Dr. I Longrizung Trust Award

Our Correspondent
Mokokchung, Oct. 16 (EMN): A student from Longkhum village in Mokokchung district has been awarded with the first Dr I Longrizung Trust Award for being selected to study for the MBBS course. The award was instituted for candidates who qualify for the national and state examinations for the MBBS course study.
A grand programme was held at the Longkumer Kilem on Tuesday where Imliyala Longchar received a citation and cash of INR 40,000.
The director of the Trust, L Mefutiba Ao, highlighted that the award was introduced to encourage young minds from Longkhum to undertake medical studies to serve humanity as endeavoured by Dr I Longrizung during his lifetime. He said that the award was instituted by family members after the passing of Dr I Longrizung in 2006.

Ao informed that the Late Dr I Longrizung Trust was initiated based on the various principles that the late doctor followed and believed in. Initially, it was started with an aim to provide free medical assistance to economically challenged people living in places access to which was challenging. Over the years the Trust has been conducting free medical camps in the rural areas, he said.

He added that Another component of the Trust includes an academic excellence award for both Arts and Science, at Fazl Ali College in Mokokchung.
The chief guest of the event was M Bendangnukshi Longkume, senior advisor to the Mokokchung Chamber of Commerce and Industry, gave away the award. He said that Dr Longrizung achieved his goal to be a physician and to serve the people. He treated people without charging them fees and gave medicines to the needy and the elderly, Longkumer said.

He was a humanitarian who earned people’s respect because of his honesty, sincerity, and hard work, Longkumer said. The society today needs such a visionary and selfless person like Dr I Longrizung, the gathering was told.

Dr I Longrizung joined the civil hospital at Mokokchung as an assistant surgeon in 1951. He was a trained anaesthetist and radiologist from Assam Medical College at Dibrugarh 1956 and 1960. He was also considered the first physician from the state to have undergone training on safety aspects about medical uses of radiation in the then Bombay in 1966. He was one of the founding members of Fazl Ali College Mokokchung in 1959 and recipient of the Vijay Ratna Award in 1997; Best Citizen of India Award in 1988, and the Gold Star Award from London in 1998.