World Bank lauds implementation of Nagaland Health Project; shows interest in new project

DIMAPUR: Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Paiwang Konyak on Friday thanked the World Bank for supporting the state, especially in the health sector, and successfully implementing the Nagaland Health Project (NHP), which has been extended till December 31, 2023.

Konyak along with Commissioner and Secretary of Health department Y Kikheto Sema and NHP team called on the Country Director of World Bank, Auguste Tano Kouame at his office in New Delhi on Friday, updated DIPR.

The minister said that the NHP could cater to sectors not covered by Indian government schemes, which are mainly for specific programmes. Highlighting issues and challenges the state face, he appealed to the World Bank to provide continuous support.

While thanking the World Bank for funding various projects in Nagaland in sectors like Health, Education, and Agriculture & Allied, Kikheto Sema said the proposed Nagaland Health System Strengthening Project (NHSSP) is mainly to fill infrastructure gap in health centers, quarters for health workers, etc.

“The desire of the state government to provide affordable, accessible health care to its citizen cannot be fulfilled without good infrastructure facilities,” he said while requesting the World Bank to support the new project.

Kouame lauded and congratulated the government of Nagaland for successfully implementing the NHP. He said ‘the Bank would be interested to support the new project (NHSSP) and assured to recommend the same to the GoI’.

He said the proposed project could help the state generate fiscal revenue, mobilize private sector through PPP mode, and generate employment through pre-service training, etc. He further suggested conducting virtual meetings with other states and countries which are being funded under WB to showcase the good practices of the Nagaland Health Project.