Seven from Nagaland awarded for their services to society on Women’s Day

Our Correspondent
Kohima, March 8 (EMN): Several women from Nagaland were recognised for their commendable contribution in the field of public health sector on the occasion of International Women’s Day on Tuesday.

Four women and an organisation were conferred with the ‘state women achievers’ award, while two were felicitated at the national level at events held in Kohima and New Delhi respectively.

The recipients of ‘state women achievers’ award were: Dr. Orentsani Kikon, Ayush Medical Officer CHC Tseminyu; Neivete-u Sono, Community Health Officer, Longwa HWC, Mon district; Sethonu Sachu, CHC Jalukie Zangdi, Peren district; Vechulou Kanuo, Co-Chair, Nagaland Health Project (NHP), CHC, Pfutsero; and Lotha Eloe Hoho, the apex body of Lotha women organisation.

They were recognised for their tremendous service in the health sector, particularly during the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic and efforts towards vaccination in the state. A felicitation and seminar programme was held in Kohima on the occasion.

Meanwhile, vaccinators Kushem Khiam and Keninguonuo Angami received appreciation memento from the Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya at Stage Ground NIHFW Lawns Munirka New Delhi accompanied by Mission Director, Dr. Thorhusie Katiry and Kingson, SPO UNDP. They were felicitated on the occasion for inoculating the highest number of Covid-19 vaccines to beneficiaries in Nagaland.

Speaking during the programme, Dr. Khelito Zhimomi, state nodal officer of Reproductive Child Health, remarked that over 80% of the workforce in the department was women who have been working tirelessly from different angles.

It is women who play a major role in Covid-19 vaccination, she said while speaking on the topic ‘Women’s role in Covid-19 vaccination and maternal health’.

The government of India had set a target to achieve 100% vaccination but the state still has a long way to go to achieve the target. Towards this, she called upon women organisations, NGOs at various levels to participate in the vaccination.

‘Nagas are gullible when it comes to false rumours. We have a hard time convincing people to take the vaccine, especially in the outskirts and village areas’, she observed. She requested NGOs to create awareness at the grassroots level.

She also spoke about maternal health status in Nagaland.  She said that there were over 600 institutional deliveries in the state and around 12,000 deliveries were conducted which included delivery at the public health facility. 

However, the Centre’s estimation of institutional delivery is over 24,000 and Nagaland is far from meeting that target. In this regard, the Centre is of the view that a lot of mothers in Nagaland are dying. ‘But in reality, the state recorded 13 maternal deaths as of January 2022. The government is implementing a lot of maternal schemes and benefits to encourage institutional delivery but the beneficiary turn out is low in the state’, she said and encouraged women to avail the benefits. 

She further informed that Urban Primary Health Centre Seikhazou would soon be certified with Surakshit Matritva Ashwasan (SUMAN). In addition, at least five district hospitals in the state are in the process of being certified with Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matrutava Abhiyan (PMSMA).

State Coordinator, ISRN, Martha Dukru said that vaccination is the only way to be safe from coronavirus. She appealed to the women organisations and groups to take the message of the importance of vaccines to the community level.

‘Women have to walk the extra mile in order to keep the family and community safe’, she said and told them to be ambassadors and challenged the people to come forward.

Giving an update on state Covid vaccination, Egumsing Nsarangbe, state programme manager of John Snow India, said that Nagaland is still the lowest in the country in terms of Covid-19 vaccination. The major reason was hesitancy to take vaccines, particularly in the rural belt.

‘India as a nation is performing well in vaccination but when it comes to state-wise performance, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Manipur are some of the low performing states. Among the North-Eastern states, Nagaland is at the bottom’, he informed.

Five districts including Dimapur, Kohima, Mokokchung, Longleng, and Mon are doing well but six districts –Tuensang, Phek, Peren, Kiphire and Wokha — are below 50%.

‘Focus is being given in the six districts and are engaging more manpower to reach all the beneficiaries’, he added. 

Among the 18 plus population, Nagaland’s Covid vaccination coverage as on March 7 is 66% of the first dose against the national average of 98%. The second dose is 51% against the national average of 78%.

‘As for 15 to 18 years, the first dose stands at 34%, which is good and 14% for the second dose (need improvement),’ he said.

The state programme manager further informed that very soon, vaccination for 12 plus will be included and added that they had received a ‘new vaccine’ and further details were awaited from the Ministry.

According to the survey conducted by the Department of Health and Family Welfare in coordination with the IDSP section, 90% of deaths due to Covid-19 were directly related to non-vaccination. Out of 700 deaths in the second wave, 650 deaths were directly related to unvaccinated cases.

‘This study showed that vaccines are protecting the people’, he said.

The programme was organised by John Snow India-Nagaland under the project Momentum Routine Immunisation Transformation and Equity, funded by USAID in collaboration with the department of Health and Family Welfare.