Nagaland Health and Family Welfare Minister P Paiwang Konyak has called for a collective statewide effort to support and enforce the government’s proposed one-year ban on tobacco and nicotine-based food products, urging civil society organisations, churches and community leaders to join hands in protecting public health.
The appeal comes after the state government imposed a one-year ban on the manufacture, storage, transportation, distribution and sale of all food products containing tobacco or nicotine as ingredients, citing public health concerns and directions from the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
Paiwang made the call during a high-level review meeting of the Department of Health and Family Welfare held on June 9 in the presence of Secretary H&FW S Tainiu Khiam and senior departmental officials.
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During the meeting, the Minister stressed the need for a coordinated approach towards public health and sought the wholehearted support of churches, civil society organisations and community leaders for the initiative.
He said the ban would significantly contribute to improving public health and safeguarding younger generations from the harmful effects of tobacco consumption. The Minister also urged all stakeholders to cooperate closely with district administrations and police authorities to ensure effective implementation and enforcement of the ban.
Reviewing the department’s performance and ongoing programmes, including preparedness for a possible Ebola outbreak, the 100-day mission under the National Quality Assurance Standards (NQAS), and the TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan campaign, Paiwang directed officials to strengthen outreach at the district level, improve service delivery and ensure that government healthcare initiatives effectively reach people at the grassroots.
On Ebola preparedness, State Nodal Officer, Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP), Dr Nyan Kikon informed the meeting that no Ebola case has been detected in Nagaland so far. However, the department has been directed to maintain heightened surveillance, strengthen preparedness at all levels and ensure prompt response mechanisms remain in place as a precautionary measure.
The meeting also reviewed ongoing health infrastructure projects, including Mon Medical College, the Nagaland Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (NIMSR), Kohima, projects under PM-DevINE, and externally aided projects under NHP-III.
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Projects in the pipeline, such as the establishment of trauma centres in district hospitals, upgradation of the State Mental Health Institute into a Centre of Excellence, setting up of a State Cancer Institute, a State Allied Health Institute, further upgradation of NIMSR, and the proposal for a new AIIMS at Naga Ki, were also discussed.
A team of consultants from JICA also briefed the meeting on developments related to NIMSR.
The meeting deliberated on various health-related issues and reaffirmed the department’s commitment to improving healthcare services across the state through greater coordination, community participation and district-level engagement.
