State health and family welfare (H&FW) minister, P. Paiwang Konyak inaugurated three patient-centric facilities including Blood Component Separation Unit, TB Culture & Drugs Susceptibility Testing Laboratory and Trauma Care Centre at Naga Hospital Authority Kohima (NHAK) here on Saturday.
Speaking at the inaugural programme, the health minister said that the blood centre at NHAK would be the first government hospital in the state to have licence for blood component separation.
He said that component separation machine would separate whole blood into components such as the packed red cells, platelets and the fresh frozen plasma. Paiwang said that component separation would maximize the utility of one whole blood unit.
The minister pointed out that India required an annual average of 14.6 million blood units, but consistently faced a shortfall of one million units.
He highlighted that in 2022-2023 Nagaland collected 12,923 units of blood whereas the national level target was 15,000 and therefore there was a deficit of 2,077 units.
Despite the advance in medical science, he said there was still no alternative to blood that can only come when a healthy voluntary donor donates blood.
He expressed hope that with the opening of the blood separation unit in Kohima, patients could avail blood products at NHAK itself.
The minister also appreciated the state TB programme for realising the need to establish a Culture & Drug Susceptibility Testing Lab and making the task a reality today.
With the establishment of Culture & Drug Susceptibility Lab, he expressed hope that it would serve the purpose of detecting not only the multi drug resistant cases but also the extensively drug resistant tuberculosis cases in Nagaland.
“Let us ensure that the Detect, Treat, Build and Prevent strategy is applied to achieve TB free Nagaland as per the clarion call given by our Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to eliminate TB by 2025, let us all join our hands and put our best efforts towards the TB elimination goal,” he added.
On the inauguration of Trauma Care Centre, the minister said that NHAK would now provide definitive care for severe trauma victims. He said that emergency physicians, surgeons, Orthopaedicians and Anaesthetists have already been stationed.
Paiwang stated that there was a desperate need in the State for a proper dedicated trauma care centre to cater to ever-growing spectrum of a neglected disease. However, with the establishment of the Level II Trauma Care Centre at NHAK, the state would be able to attend to traumatic injuries more dedicatedly and efficiently.
He further expressed hope that through the newly inaugurated facilities, the medical department would make significant improvements at various levels of health facilities in providing trauma, emergency medical services in a coordinated manner. The minister also assured to arrange Nucleic Acid Test (NAT) very soon.
Also, speaking at the programme, the commissioner and secretary H&FW, V. Kezo, expressed joy and enthusiasm at the remarkable growth of NHAK, which he said has become a shining example of what hospitals should aspire to be.
NHAK managing director Dr. Sendineren Aonok proposed vote of thanks. A host of dignitaries including legislators, former PDs and others attended the inauguration programme. The minister also inspected new semi private cabin at NHAK.