State Health & Family Welfare minister P Paiwang Konyak has requested Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to consider external aided project (EAP) – Nagaland Health Systems Strengthening Project – that focused mainly on filling up the infrastructure gaps vis-à-vis health centres, quarters for health workers, etc.
During his meeting wiht Sitharaman on Tuesday, Paiwang said that the health system in the State was steadily progressing and had strengthened to some extent in recent times. But, despite the progress, he said the responsiveness of the health system to people’s needs and growing expectations was still far from satisfactory and that many challenges were yet to be overcome, mainly due to poor health infrastructure, including housing for the staff, shortage of skilled manpower, problems associated with difficult terrain, poor road connectivity, etc.
He also informed Sitharaman that it was the desire of the State government to provide affordable and accessible healthcare to its citizens.
Paiwang further stated that the sanction accorded under Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM) and India Covid-19 Emergency Response and Health System Preparedness (ECRP), etc, were for a specific purpose and could not cover the overall needs of the State’s health sector.
He said, with the success and positive impact of the Nagaland Health Project funded by the World Bank, the State government had proposed further World Bank assistance project amounting to US$42.74 million to support the State for construction of district hospitals in newly-created districts, construction of staff quarters and strengthening of district hospitals for delivery of assured services.
He mentioned that National Health Mission (NHM), which was mainly funding improvement of the health sector in the State, could avail hardly 50% of the annual resource envelope over the years and requested the Central minister to consider releasing funds in two instalments, instead of four.
On her part, Sitharaman stressed the importance of timely contribution of State’s share to avail 90% grant from the Centre.
Paiwang was accompanied by H&FW commissioner & secretary Y Kikheto Sema. This was stated in a press release.
Monday, October 5, 2026