A one-day training programme on free diagnostic services for laboratory technician, Nagaland was held at the Conference Hall, Directorate of Health and Family Welfare, Nagaland, Kohima on July 25. The programme was organised by National Health Mission, Nagaland in collaboration with regional resource centre for NE States (Branch of NHSRC, New Delhi).
Speaking at the programme, director Regional Resource Centre for North Eastern States (RRC-NE), Dr. Raj Prabha Moktan, highlighted that the need for such training is important because there is a need to expand the laboratory facilities of the state.
She informed that the infant mortality is an important health indicator, it indicates the development index of a country, state or nation. She said that the mortality rate in Nagaland is just 4 out of thousand, whereas, all over India, it is 28 out of thousand and asserted that was a very good indicator.
However, she said there are some indicators which need to improve in Nagaland like institution of deliveries as population is over 19 lakhs in 12 districts and 500 plus health care facilities all over the state and it has around 16380 villages. She said one commendable thing about Nagaland is communisation of health care sector which is the first and one of the best in the country. She said that PHC, CHC and some district hospitals are performing well but diagnostic centres need improvement. “There’s a paradigm shift happening across the departments of the health sector in the country and diagnostic services need further upgradation and improvement”, she added.
Asserting that Nagaland with 70% of the population living in the rural areas, she said free diagnostic services should be able to reach the door steps of the common man and urged all the lab technicians to have free interactive session with experts.
State program officer NHM, Dr. Mereninla Senlem, in an overview of BMEMP & FDSI stated that the project scope includes equipment tagging & mapping: dashboard & mobile application, repair of historical dysfunctional, provision of toll-free number, breakdown maintenance (repair), preventive maintenance & calibration.
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, GoI had launched Free Diagnostics Service Initiative (FDSI) in the year 2015 with a view to reduce Out of Pocket Expenditure (OOPE) especially in diagnostics. Under this scheme, the National Health Mission is supporting all states to provide essential diagnostics – laboratory and radiology at their public health facilities, free of cost to all beneficiaries.
She said that free diagnostic service initiative is to strengthen the laboratories, semi-biochemistry analysers and haematology analysers were procured, based on the equipment gap analysis from the Primary Health Centres (PHCs) and rapid card test kit for Sub-Centres (SCs), were purchased under the Fifteenth Finance Commission.
The programme was chaired by deputy director NHM, Dr. Manyau Phom, welcome address was delivered by principal director, DH&FW, Dr. E Motsuthung Patton and vote of thanks was proposed by mission director NHM, Dr. Akuo Sorhie.
The program was followed by technical session on overview of tests under haematology & clinical pathology, sample collection, procedure, sample rejection, internal quality control, EQAS etc. with Dr. Seyiechütuo Solo as resource person; overview of tests under biochemistry, sample collection, procedure, sample rejection, internal quality control, EQAS etc. with Dr. Lhoukhovi Jau.