Dimapur, June 5 (MExN): The NPF Legislature Party (NPFLP) on Saturday reacted to the June 4 press conference called by the state Minister for Health and Family Welfare (H&FW) S Pangnyu Phom and the department’s Principal Secretary and Principal Director.
The party issued a press release through its spokesperson Imkong L Imchen on June 5, questioning the department’s change of stance with regard to the new COVID facility at the Christian Institute of Health Sciences & Research (CIHSR), Dimapur.
Stating that the department may have ‘re-postured’ itself from the Chief Minister’s stated position on May 25 that a 176-bedded hospital would be constructed at CIHSR, the Party pointed out that “The Principal Director (H&FW) stated on June 2 that a make-shift (Tentage) COVID Hospital will be erected.” This was followed by the June 4 press conference where the Principal Secretary (H&FW) stated that a pre-engineered Acute Care Hospital having intake capacity of 200 beds including 24 bedded paediatric ICU ward will be constructed, it said.
The party also claimed that the three officials “have avoided the money involved (Rs 30 crore),” for reasons best known to them. In this regard, it questioned “Whether the CIHSR Hospital is already taken over by the Government of Nagaland,” as it spending a huge amount of money in a private hospital.
In case it was taken over, it asked when it was taken over and under what authority—the cabinet, assembly or by any other public ordinance.
“If this CIHSR Hospital is already owned by the Government of Nagaland, then what is the legal position of the MOU entered between the Government of Nagaland, Christian Medical College & Hospital Vellore and Emmanuel Hospital Association on May 27, 2005?” it asked.
Further, the party also sought to know what the staffing structure, funding and management of the hospital would be, “because like any other Government Hospitals the staff salaries have to be borne by the State having duly created the posts with financial cognate concurrence.” It also claimed that “there is no specific time-frame for the completion of the hospital,” and asked what would be the fate of COVID-19 patients in the interim period “Because there is no fund allocation to the various District Hospitals to treat the COVID patients so far.”
The party also questioned whether proper and formal Tender Notice was advertised in mass-media inviting bidders for the construction of this hospital and sought to know in which newspapers it was published and when.
It meanwhile asserted that “if the answers to the above rendered questions are ‘no’ then the Chief Minister, Minister H&FW, Principal Secretary H&FW and Principal Director H&FW are liable for criminal prosecution for misappropriating public money and misleading the people of the state for no cause.” The NPF Legislature Party as true representatives of the people is giving this clarion call in the larger interest of public service and also calling upon the Government of the day to maintain transparency and accountability while occupying the public office, it added.
