Kohima, 11 July (MTNews): A four-member team from the National Health System & Resource Center (NHSRC) and Regional Resource Center – NE (RRC-NE) visited Nagaland from 10 to 12 July 2023. The team met with the Commissioner & Secretary of DoHFW, Y Kikheto Sema, IAS, and other officials to discuss the creation of a public health cadre in the state.
Dr Poonam, a consultant from NHSRC, said that the team’s visit was to understand and support the State in creating a Public Health Cadre. She also appreciated the state’s existing service rules which divide the state into different categories and allow for manpower to be posted in the entire category prior to promotion. She also stressed on the formation of a State Task Force for creation of Public Health Cadre in the State under the chairmanship of the Commissioner & Secretary, DoHFW.
Kikheto Sema said that there are many challenges to providing public healthcare in Nagaland due to the state’s unique geography and topography. He also said that it is difficult to follow the Indian Public Health Standard (IPHS) in Nagaland due to the shortage of qualified manpower and the state’s inability to create more posts.
He requested the Government of India to consider the constraints of the region while planning policies, as what is applicable in the mainland may not be practical for the hilly areas. He added that the state is working towards providing cashless healthcare through the Chief Minister’s Health Insurance Scheme (CMHIS) and Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY). Sema also talked about the state’s efforts to revive communitization by involving communities and NGOs in order to improve the delivery system.
The team from NHSRC and RRC-NE also visited health units in Dimapur and will be visiting some in the District of Kohima, including Naga Hospital. They will continue to work with the state to create a public health cadre in Nagaland.
The team also comprised of Dr Priyanka Consultant, NHSRC, New Delhi, Ms Munitatat, Consultant NHSR, New Delhi and Ms Sagarika Klita, from RRC-NE, Guwahati while Principal Director Dr Vibeituonuo M. Sachu and Officers of the Department were also present.