Kohima (Nagaland) [India], November 21 : Nagaland's Health and Family Welfare Minister P Paiwang Konyak inspected Longlend district hospital on Thursday.
The minister reached Longleng District Hospital Thursday morning and had a meeting with the district administration, civil society representatives, district hospital authority and the department officials at PPCA Mission Centre.
Following the inspection of the on-going Longleng district hospital construction, the minister said that district hospitals should have larger land as it ensures space for future expansion and urged the Phom civil societies to acquire bigger land for Longleng hospital assuring of his commitment to develop the hospital.
He urged to expedite the construction stating that the ongoing construction should not be dearth of anything at any cost.
Dwelling on the shortage of specialist's doctors which was the core issue in almost all the districts hospitals in Nagaland, the minister informed that the department is working out modalities on two-cadre-system (Specialised and non-specialised doctors) and said recruitment drive will take place once government approves the modalities and assured that the core issue will be addressed soon.
Konyak also stated that owing to random creation and upgradation of Sub Centres, Primary Health Centres (PHCs) and Community Health Centre (CHC) by the department over the years without proper survey and scrutiny, there are many shortfalls of doctors and nurses which compelled him to ban the creation and upgradation of these centres.
He said upgradation and creation will be taken up on need-base while also the existing centres will be surveyed and if found redundant, the department will notify for down-grade of the centre.
Asserting that the tour was an exercise of the department to take on-site verification, the minister informed that he will cover the entire district in phase wise manner. He also informed that along with the tour, inspection of food safety and pharmacies will be carried out as conducted in the already covered districts of Dimapur and Mokokchung.
The minister also expressed concern on the flow of foreign food without the manufacture of an expiry date and said if this can be controlled, more employment opportunities can be taken up by local entrepreneurs.
Also on formalin fishes, Konyak said if fishes flowing in from other states are found to have high contain of formalin, state government could ban and promote only local fishes which will be another opportunity for the local youths. He said the exercise is for public awareness which will continue even in the days to come.
While acknowledging the Phom Peoples' Council, Phom Womens' Organization and Phom Students' Conference for their presence and concern, the Minister also lauded Dr Hantok Phom who has been serving the Nagas patients in Delhi over the years.
Meanwhile the Minister also commended the Longleng DH and the doctors for delivering excellent service to the citizens through the CMHIS which according to the minister was far better that the other districts and encouraged to let health care service accessible to all the citizens.