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Our Correspondent
Kohima, Feb. 27 (EMN): Union Health and Family Welfare Minister, Dr. Harsh Vardhan on Saturday expressed his desire to visit Nagaland again to oversee the progress of the medical colleges and ensure that they are completed on time.
The minister, who was on a three-day visit to the state along with his wife Nutan Goel, inspected the Kohima Medical College site in the afternoon and offered floral tributes to the fallen heroes of World War II at the Kohima War Cemetery, before leaving for Manipur’s capital city, Imphal.
Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of his visit to the state’s first medical college, which is under construction, he admitted that the “project is already over delayed” while acknowledging the state government has its "own issues and problems'' including land ownership issues.
However, maintaining that the Covid-19 situation is improving, he said 2021 has been set as the proposed date for completion of the project and a few other construction works by mid-2022.
"I look forward to coming back again and see that the medical college is completed as early as possible," he said, while asserting that the Central government will be in touch with the state government to assess the progress of the college.
He expressed hope that there won’t be any more delay in the construction of the medical college in Kohima and initiate construction work of the similar project at Mon district very soon.
The minister said that people should be able to benefit from the two upcoming medical colleges in Nagaland “as early as possible”. He added that Mon district was selected for setting up of the new medical college as “we want the people there to benefit and avail the healthcare services and medical education”.
Meanwhile, the Kohima Village Council appealed to the Union Minister to declare Kohima Medical College as a ‘Central institute’ in line with All India Institutes of Medical and Sciences (AIIMS) Delhi, stating that it "will address the state requirements of human resource shortage and financial setbacks, enabling the college fully functional at the earliest".
"The Kohima Medical College may be considered and approved at par with Regional Institute of Medical Sciences Imphal, Manipur, where funding and functioning of the Medical College is all supported by North East Council (NEC)," said Helievio Solo, chairman of Kohima Village Council, in a letter that was handed to the minister during the reception programme.
To this, Vardhan assured to look into the issues related to healthcare delivery system, particularly in Kohima.
"We will look at it very positively," he said. “We shall try to live up to your expectations and try to restore the dignity of this village.”
Thank you Nagaland
Dr. Vardhan expressed gratitude to the people of Nagaland for the warm reception extended to him and his wife, saying that they "received blessings and honour" from both Mon and Kohima districts.
"This is a blessing not only for me but for the Central government of India and the prime minister who is significantly working and committed to tackling the cause of the people where we continued after independence,” he said.
He said that he was honoured to be a part of the "grand reception programme" in a historic village of India. He said Kohima village, the second largest village in Asia, is as old as 700 years and has produced many prominent personalities.
"Inhabitants of this village were part of the Second World War, where there are martyrs. It’s a great occasion for me; I am really delighted. Thank you for honouring upon me and my wife in such a dignified manner,” he said.
Earlier in the day, the state government organised a reception programme for the union minister in Kohima, where he visited Nagaland Civil Secretariat and UPHC Seikhazou besides the medical college site and the war cemetery.
It may be mentioned that Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio had hosted an official dinner for the Union Minister in his honour at State Banquet Hall, Chief Minister's Residential Complex, Kohima, on Friday after the foundation stone laying ceremony of Mon Medical College at District Hospital Mon on the same day. The college, which is slated to be completed by 2023-24 is expected to cost INR 325 crore.
On his arrival in the state on February 25 along with his wife, Vardhan visited the Health and Wellness Centre at Naga United village and Christian Institute of Health Sciences and Research (CISHR) in Dimapur.
