Nagaland medical college breaks ground

 

Chizokho Vero
Kohima | March 3
The long felt desire for a medical college in Nagaland took a significant step today with Nagaland Chief Minister, Neiphiu Rio laying the foundation stone for Nagaland Medical College at Phriebagei, Kohima.

Rio expressed hope that the college will enable people in the state to avail quality healthcare and improve the state’s credentials. “A medical college for the state has been a long felt need,” Rio informed. He stated that the first concrete step towards this was taken with the signing of a MoU with CMC, Vellore and Emmanuel Hospital Association by the state government in January 2005. Thereafter, concerted efforts were made to obtain funds for the proposed medical college. “A DPR for the purpose was prepared, and submitted in 2012 to the Ministry of Health, GoI for setting up of a medical college into referral hospital which is now known as CIHSR, Dimapur,” he added.

Rio disclosed that while this proposal is being actively pursued by the state government, the present medical college has come up under a new scheme of the Government of India, called “Upgradation of District Hospitals to Medical College.”

A key condition under this new scheme is that the hospital should have more than 200 beds and should be a government hospital. At present, Kohima district hospital (NHAK) is the only hospital in the state to fulfill this criteria, Rio said. To begin with, Rio said that the medical college will have an intake capacity of 100 MBBS students, out of which 45 seats would be reserved for Nagaland.

The funds are to be contributed in the ratio of 90:10 between the Centre and the State.  The total cost of the establishment of the new medical college is estimated to be around Rs. 189 crores.

At present, Rio said, the health care delivery system in Nagaland is handicapped by the lack of a medical college and other specialized institution at the tertiary level. “As a result, thousands of patients are being referred outside the state for necessary medical investigation and treatment.”

“It is particularly painful to note that thousands of cancer patients have to be referred outside the state due to lack of treatment facilities in the state. The expenditure of the government on account of medical reimbursements as well as the expenditure incurred by the public for treatment outside the state are tremendous,” Rio said adding that as per the records available the state government spent around Rs. 23 crore during 2011-12 alone, on account of medical reimbursement, attendance, travel and lodging etc. Also, many poor patients do not have the resources to avail expensive treatment facilities outside the state.

He added that the Government of India has also approved the much needed specialized hospital for cancer patients- Tertiary Cancer Care Centre for Nagaland, which will be attached to the medical college.
Rio called for a concerted effort from the political executives, the bureaucrats, the technocrats and contactors to make this venture a successful one. He stated that the project must be implemented keeping in mind the interest of the poor patients, on a no profit no loss basis, and without cost and time overrun.

Earlier, a brief introduction of the Medical College was given by Commissioner & Secretary for Health & Family Welfare, Sentiyanger Imchen, while a vote of thanks was proposed by Minister for Health & Family Welfare, Imkong L Imchen. Chief Secretary Banuo Z. Jamir, IAS chaired the function.

 

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Our Correspondent
Kohima | March 3
At present, Nagaland has 417 serving doctors; we need 407 more doctors as per the Indian Public Health standard, stated Nagaland Chief Minister, Neiphiu Rio. “As the population grows and more and more diseases are invading the world, the need for doctors will keep on increasing,” he added, while unveiling the foundation stone for Nagaland Medical College.

Rio expressed happiness that during the last few years, the department of health and family welfare has improved its performance considerably. It is notable that important health care indicators like the Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) has been brought down from 27 in 2009 to 18 in 2012.

“This indicates the improvement of socio-economic status, availability, accessibility and effectiveness of the health care services in the state,” Rio said. He also approved of the recognition that Nagaland has been adjudged as having the best health care delivery amongst the small category states, according to the survey conducted by India Today for the year 2013. He also announced that the World Bank has approved a 60 million US $ project called the “Nagaland Multi Sectoral Health Initiative” for the improvement of the health sector in the state.

“I am therefore, confident that in the health delivery, we will make further progress in the days to come,” the Chief Minister said.

On fulfilling the long felt need of a Medical College in Nagaland, Rio thanked the Government of India, President of India, Pranab Mukherjee; Nagaland Governor, Dr Ashwani Kumar; Health and Family Welfare Minster, Imkong L Imchen; the department of Health and Family Welfare; the entire medical fraternity and the people of Kohima Village, especially P Khel.