State health and family welfare (H&FW) minister, P. Paiwang Konyak, has requested the health ministry to consider Mon Medical College (MMC) as regional institute under Central Government as there was no institute of national or regional importance in Nagaland.
Paiwang, who met V Hekali Zhimomi, additional secretary and director general NACO, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare in Delhi on May 24, 2023, and deliberated on various issues about medical college, HIV & AIDS, nursing college, and tobacco control, thanked the ministry and NMC for granting LOP for the NIMSR Kohima. He sought continuous support of the ministry as Nagaland plans to start the first academic session from the current year 2023-24.
Paiwang also thanked the Ministry for approving the upgradation of three Nursing schools to Nursing Colleges in the District Hospital of Dimapur, Kohima, and Mokokchung. He requested the ministry to further provide more nursing colleges in the State in PPP mode.
Commissioner & secretary H&FW, Y. Kikheto Sema, who accompanied health minister, appreciated the ministry for providing all assistance in the control of HIV & AIDS. He stated that Nagaland being the second highest HIV & AIDS prevalent in the country, the State was taking seriously to Test, Treat, and create massive awareness campaign involving all stakeholders including NGOs and Churches.
He said that the State has taken a new initiative in coordination with the State GIS cell to use drones for timely delivery of drugs and equipment.
IN this regard, Sema requested the ministry to sanction for procurement of drones under the new innovative scheme. Sema also stated that Nagaland, being the second highest consumption of Tobacco and its related product in the Country, had recently declared “Tobacco-Free Zone” in all the government and private hospitals and schools in the state.
Appreciating the initiatives taken by the State in recent days regarding the awareness of AIDS and HIV, Hekali Zhimomi suggested increasing the surveillance, treatment, and preventive measures, which would be supported by the Ministry.
She also appreciated the initiative taken on awareness of Tobacco and declaring the “Tobacco Free Zone”. She suggested collaborating with NGOs that were in the field to achieve its desired goal.
Zhimomi opined that there were a lot of avenues in the Nursing Sector and encouraged the State to start the three Nursing colleges at the earliest.