Kohima, 5 August (MTNews): The Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) has expressed its contentment with the recent Office Memorandum (OM) issued by the Department of Health and Family Welfare, Nagaland (DoHFW), directing in-service doctors to cease private practice within one month of the OM’s issuance. The Federation believes that strict implementation of this OM will bring positive changes to the healthcare landscape in the state.
Lauding the department for taking the right step forward in curbing the practice of doctors availing Non-Practicing Allowance (NPA) while engaging in private practices during their duty hours, the NSF hopes that such measures will ensure that the citizens of the state receive proper consultations and care from government-employed doctors.
“More so, the unnecessary draining of the state exchequer by these doctors indulging in moonlighting can be checked and the resources utilized in other programs which will benefit the citizens of the state,” it added.
Stating that the NSF has long been demanding the DoHFW to crack the whip on those doctors indulging in the unethical practice of private practices or running their private hospitals despite availing the benefit of NPA, the Federation appreciated the current dispensation. The NSF commended Chief Minister Neiphui Rio for exhibiting “political will to correct the mistakes of the past and streamline the system of governance to benefit the common people.”
In response to the OM, the NSF appealed to all private hospitals, clinics, and nursing homes to comply strictly by refraining from employing in-service government doctors, nurses, technicians, and health workers. The federation also urged the Deputy Commissioners of the state, entrusted with enforcing the OM, to carry out their responsibilities diligently.
National Mission on Edible Oils: NSF calls for informed decision-making
In the meantime, the NSF expressed concern over the allocation of Rs 11,040 crore by the Union Cabinet for the National Mission on Edible Oils, specifically targeting North-eastern states and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
The NSF highlighted that Nagaland alone has 5423 hectares under oil palm cultivation across seven districts and noted that the Department of Agriculture is aggressively expanding the area under oil palm cultivation. To this, the Federation expressed worry about the potential negative impacts on health, forests, biodiversity, and soil quality.
Citing a recent report by the Ministry of Forest, Environment, and Climate Change which indicated that Nagaland lost 235 sq. km of forest land in the last two years, the Federation suggested that it is largely attributed to the forest clearing for starting the cultivation of oil palms.
“Our rich biodiversity, flora and fauna, wild fruit plants, rare medicinal plants and the habitat of rare species stands threatened to be annihilated if the plantation drive continues,” the federation cautioned.
Concerns were raised regarding the high water requirements of 200 to 300 liters of water per day of oil palm trees, stating that Nagaland, with its frequent droughts and uneven rainfall, cannot afford to cultivate such a water-intensive plant on a commercial scale. The federation also highlighted other environmental issues related to oil palm cultivation, such as soil degradation and water pollution from fertilizers, posing risks to human health.
The NSF urged the authorities to thoroughly examine the failures of oil palm cultivation in various parts of the world and provide informed advice to citizens instead of misleading them with promises of ‘economic windfall’. The NSF referenced the failure of oil palm cultivation in Mizoram and cautioned against overlooking such experiences.
The Federation firmly viewed that compromises which will have an irreversible negative impact on the environment, human health and hasten climate change cannot and should not be made for economic benefit alone.
“In light of the same, the Federation urges upon the concerned department to exercise utmost caution in propagating the economic benefit of the oil palm while shying away from educating the gullible farmers of its negative impacts,” it concluded.