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KOHIMA — Minister of Health and Family Welfare, P Paiwang Konyak, on Saturday inaugurated three vital medical facilities, including blood component separation (blood centre), TB culture and drug susceptibility testing laboratory and trauma care centre, at the Naga Hospital Authority Kohima (NHAK).
Speaking at the inaugural programme, the minister said the facilities will provide multi-specialty approach to trauma victims, decrease the rate of mortality and disability of the victims, as well as spread awareness on the preparedness and response to such incidents.
With this development, the NHAK has become the first government hospital in the state to have license for blood component separation.
The hospital already has license for whole blood but the much-needed license for blood components was required to operate and issue blood components, and the equipment was provided by NHM and NHAK. The new machine can separate whole blood into components such as the packed red cells, platelets and the fresh frozen plasma.
Konyak said the component separation will maximise the utility of one whole blood unit.
With the component separation, patients will no longer have to go to Dimapur to collect platelets or fresh frozen plasma, he asserted.
This year has been very challenging for the patients who suffered from dengue since many patients had to go to Dimapur to collect platelets.
The minister also expressed optimism that the TB culture and drug susceptibility testing laboratory will serve the purpose of detecting not only the multi drug resistant cases but also the extensively drug resistant tuberculosis cases in Nagaland.
The NHAK, which has the referral status with a 350-bed capacity, has been selected as Level II Trauma Centre. It will now provide definitive care for severe trauma victims. Emergency physicians, surgeons, orthopaedicians and anaesthetists have already been stationed, he informed.
Further, the minister also assured to arrange Nucleic Acid Test (NAT) by the department very soon.
Commissioner and Secretary of Health and Family Welfare, V Kezo, said the hospital is becoming an epitome of what an actual hospital should be. He urged the staff of NHAK to make it a centre of excellence, one that is recognise in the entire North- East
Principal Director of Health and Family Welfare, Dr. Ritu Thurr, said that with the new facilities in place, health workers have now no excuses and urged them to move beyond comfort zone.