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Dimapur, June 6 (EMN): The NPF Legislature Party (NPFLP) was amused by what it termed as ‘historic’ June 4 press conference called by the Health minister S Pangnyu Phom and assisted by principal secretary Bhatia and the principal director Dr. Neikhrielie Khimiao pertaining to the status of Christian Institute of Health Sciences and Research (CIHSR), wherein the three officials had avoided mentioning an amount of INR 30 crore involved for the reason best known to them.
NPFLP spokesperson, Imkong L Imchen, has taken exception to the differing versions of the officials. He has referred to the statement of the chief minister on May 25 wherein he stated that a 176 bedded hospital would be constructed at CIHSR, while on June 2 the principal director of Health and Family Welfare stated that a makeshift (tentage) Covid Hospital would be erected. Further, at a June 4 press conference, the principal secretary of Health and Family Welfare stated that a pre-engineered acute care hospital having an intake capacity of 200 beds including 24 bedded paediatric ICU wards would be constructed. Imchen pointed out that the three officials have avoided mentioning involvement of INR 30 crore during the press conference for reasons best known to them.
In this regard, Imchen has questioned whether CIHSR hospital has already been taken over by the state government to spend such a huge amount of money of INR 30 crore to a private hospital. If yes, he demanded to know when it was taken over and under what authority.
Imchen has also demanded the legal position of the MOU entered between the government of Nagaland, Christian Medical College and Hospital, Vellore, and Emmanuel Hospital Association on May 27, 2005, if CIHSR hospital has been already owned by the state government.
He has also asked the staffing structure, funding and management as in any other government hospital the staff salaries are borne by the state having duly created the posts with financial cognate concurrence.
With no specific timeframe for the completion of the hospital as per the press conference, Imchen has questioned the fate of the Covid-19 infected patients since no fund allocations were made to various district hospitals to treat the Covid patients so far.
If the answers to the above rendered questions are ‘not,’ Imchen stated that the chief minister, health minister, principal secretary and principal director of health would be liable for criminal prosecution for misappropriating public money and misleading the people of the state for no cause.
As true representatives of the people and in the larger interest of public service, Imchen called upon the government of the day to maintain transparency and accountability while occupying the public office.