Central ministries to work on air-dispensary service rules

Our Correspondent
Imphal, July 15 (EMN): In collaboration with the Civil Aviation ministry the Union health ministry will be formulating the ground rules for the proper implementation of the air-dispensary services in Manipur, according to Manipur Governor Dr Najma Heptulla.
Governor Dr Najma Heptulla speaking to media persons at Raj Bhavan in Imphal on Sunday said that she had raised the matter during the recently concluded 67th plenary meeting of North Eastern Council (NEC), a regional planning body of eight NE states held in Shillong on July 9.
The meeting was chaired by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh for the first time after central government brought the NEC under the direct control of Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).
It may be worth mentioning here that Dr Heptulla has been speaking about the introduction of flying doctors through air-dispensary as done in other developed countries for the needy patients in far-flung remote areas. Last year she had even announced that the Union Civil Aviation Minister is ready to allocate INR 25 crore to introduce helicopter services.
She said that Manipur was in focus in the NEC meeting and added that she is going to pursue more and more as Manipur was not given a good share of funds.
“So I have suggested that the parameter for devolution of funds under NEC should be done through the development index. Because among eight NE states-seven of them have similar problems except Assam,” she said.
“I also mentioned about Loktak, the biggest lake in NE and its present status. So we’ve to do something about it.”
As many as 29 projects under NEC are pending in case of Manipur.
Stating that Manipur needs good infrastructures, she added, building good roads is the need of the hour and suggested the conversion of Act East policy into Work east policy considering the infrastructure requirement in the region. “But we should focus on tourism,” she said.
Regarding the lack of awareness about the central welfare schemes among the general public particularly among the women, she informed that the MHA has agreed to translate the literatures of the central government schemes into local languages to create awareness about the schemes.
On Friday, DG Assam Rifles Lieutenant General Sukhdeep Sangwan had complimented the Governor for portraying Manipur in a befitting manner in the recently concluded NEC meeting.