District hospitals should acquire bigger land for future expansion — Minister Paiwang

DIMAPUR — Indicating a vision for expansion of healthcare infrastructure, Minister of Health and Family Welfare, P Paiwang Konyak, currently on a state-wide tour, viewed that district hospitals should acquire bigger land for future expansion.

The minister who visited Longleng District Hospital on Thursday morning held a meeting with the district administration, civil societies, district hospital authority and the department officials at PPCA Mission Centre.

Following the inspection of the on-going construction at Longleng DH, Konyak opined that district hospitals should have bigger land to ensure space for future expansion. Towards this, he urged the Phom civil societies to acquire bigger land for Longleng DH, while assuring his commitment to develop the hospital.

He also stressed on the need to expedite the ongoing construction.

On shortage of specialist doctors, the major challenge faced by almost all the DHs in Nagaland, the minister informed that the department is working out modalities on two-cadre-system (specialised and non-specialised doctors) and said recruitment drive will take place once the government approves the modalities.

Konyak also said that owing to random creation and upgrade of sub centres, PHCs and CHCs by the department over the years without proper survey and scrutiny, there are many shortfalls of doctors and nurses, which compelled him to ban the creation and upgrade of these centres.

Informing that upgrade and creation will be taken up on need-base, he also said that the existing centres will be surveyed and if any centre is found redundant, the department will notify for down-grade of the centre.

Maintaining that the tour is an exercise of the department to take on-site verification, the minister informed that he will cover the entire district in phase-wise manner. He also informed that along with the tour, inspection of food safety and pharmacies will be carried out as already conducted in the districts of Dimapur and Mokokchung.

He minister also expressed concern on the unregulated flow of foreign food which have no expiry date printed on the package.

On use of formalin on fish, Konyak said if fish flowing in from other states are found to have high content of formalin, the state government could ban import of fish and promote only local fish which, he said, will be another opportunity for the local youths.

While acknowledging the Phom Peoples’ Council, Phom Womens’ Organisation and Phom Students’ Conference for their presence and concern, the minister also lauded Dr. Hantok Phom who has been serving Naga patients in Delhi over the years.

Meanwhile, Konyak also commended the Longleng DH and doctors for delivering excellent service to the citizens through the CMHIS which, according to the minister, was far better that the other districts.

Also read:New hospital facilities at District Hospital Dimapur, stricter drug enforcement planned— Health minister Paiwang

Two-cadre system to address doctors’ shortage — Nagaland Health minister Paiwang