Nagaland Health Minister P Paiwang Konyak at the 16th Conference of the Central Council of Health & Family Welfare held in New Delhi on June 29. (DIPR Photo)
KOHIMA, JUNE 30 (MExN): Nagaland has sought Union Government support for the modernisation and upgradation of ageing health infrastructure across primary, secondary and tertiary levels, particularly in view of the State's first batch of MBBS students expected to graduate in 2028.
State Minister for Health & Family Welfare P Paiwang Konyak also called for region-specific budgeting under Centrally Sponsored Schemes to reflect the higher construction and logistics costs in hilly and remote States.
The Minister raised the issues while addressing the 16th Conference of the Central Council of Health & Family Welfare held in New Delhi on June 29, the State DIPR reported.
The conference was chaired by Union Minister for Health & Family Welfare J P Nadda and attended by Health Ministers from States and Union Territories.
Paiwang also urged the Centre to review the National Health Mission resource allocation formula by giving greater weightage to terrain, remoteness, dispersed populations and the minimum cost of sustaining essential health services, instead of relying predominantly on population.
Acknowledging the Union Government's continued support for strengthening healthcare services in Nagaland, Paiwang reaffirmed the State Government's commitment to achieving Sustainable Development Goal 3 on good health and well-being.
He highlighted Nagaland's efforts to build an equitable, resilient and accessible healthcare system and appealed to the Union Government to favourably consider the State's proposals in the spirit of cooperative federalism and equitable development.
Expressing confidence that the conference would strengthen India's collective commitment to a more resilient, inclusive and equitable healthcare system, the Minister said addressing the concerns of geographically challenging States would be critical to improving healthcare delivery across the country.
