Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Imkong L Imchen, with other dignitaries at the presentation of symbolic handover keys for the Mon District Hospital on February 26.
Mon, February 26 (MExN): Wednesday marked a milestone for the Mon District Hospital, as Medecins sans Frontieres/Doctors without Borders (MSF) handed back the management responsibility for the hospital to the Nagaland state Department of Health and Family welfare (DoH&FW).
MSF has been partnering with the DoH&FW since 2010, in tireless efforts to improve health services in the said hospital by providing additional local and international medical staff and technicians, free medicines and laboratory tests, medical equipment, including a state of the art digital X-Ray machine.
Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Imkong L Imchen, speaking on the occasion, stated that there has been an “ocean of change” in the hospital, since the collaboration between MSF and the DoH&FW. Acknowledging the efforts of MSF, Imkong expressed that “our doctors will rise to the occasion and provide a good delivery system for people of Mon, who deserve good healthcare system as others.” “I do not see any reason why we can’t be successful after MSF leaves us,” he added.
Luke Arend, Country Director of MSF noted that this partnership has “brought big improvements to the hospital over the last four years.” Congratulating everyone involved in the project, he urged the DoH&FW to “ensure the supply of the agreed essential medicines as our provision stops, to contract the 28 additional staff committed previously by DoH&FW as soon as possible, and to find a solution for the power and water supply problems in the hospital, as fuelling the generator and trucking the water will be difficult to sustain.”
As part of their efforts, MSF has worked towards integration of laboratory services, upgrading the waste disposal and water provisioning systems, facilitating quality blood transfusion services and setting up a tirage system in the hospital.
MSF has supported free ambulance services for referrals, refurbished parts of the hospital and implemented standardised medical and management procedures to improve the working practices and culture. It has also built a chest ward for treating sensitive Tuberculosis and for the more severe form of drug resistant Tuberculosis, as well as increased the capacity of the hospital from 50 to almost 90 beds, informed a press note from MSF.
The note further cited a recent patient satisfaction survey conducted in the hospital in January 2014, where 80% of respondents said that “they feel good about the level of treatment that they received in the hospital”. 89% of respondents said that “they would recommend this hospital to other family members and friends”.
MSF will continue to provide technical support until the end of June 2014, to ensure stabilization and smooth operation of the hospital.
The handover ceremony was also attended by Angau I. Thou, Deputy Commissioner, Mon; Dr Neiphi Kire, Principal Director, DoH&FW; Dr Neikietuo Chiesotsu, NRHM Mission Director; Dr U K Konyak Chief Medical Officer, Mon; Dr. Leamnyei, Medical Superintendent Mon District Hospital and Manlip Konyak, Konyak Union President.
