Seeks state govt’s immediate intervention to address growing crisis
Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) has expressed serious concerns over what it described as “deteriorating healthcare infrastructure” in Nagaland and said that the state was in dire need of essential medical equipment and trained personnel.
The Congress party has sought immediate intervention of the state government to address the growing crisis, which it said has left many citizens without access to basic healthcare services.
Addressing a press conference at Congress Bhavan here on Monday, NPCC research department chairman Er. Meshenlo Kath, NPCC state media coordinator Andrew Humtsoe and NPCC communication department chairperson Yanger Longkumer, criticized the state government for its “failure to upgrade healthcare facilities despite multiple appeals.”
Er. Meshenlo Kath highlighted the “worsening” healthcare situation in Nagaland and raised serious concerns over the lack of essential medical equipment and trained personnel in the state’s hospitals.
Kath revealed that despite repeated appeals, major hospitals in Nagaland continued to lack critical diagnostic tools such as CT scans and mammograms. He pointed out that the Naga Hospital Authority Kohima (NHAK) was urged as early as May 4, 2024, to restore those facilities, but no action has been taken till date.
“It is unacceptable that Kohima, the state capital, does not even have fundamental healthcare services. Patients in critical condition are being referred to private hospitals, creating additional financial and logistical burdens for families,” Kath stated.
Further, he said that patients from remote districts were being forced to travel over 150km just to access basic diagnostic tests. He said the situation raised concerns about the government’s failure to improve healthcare infrastructure despite Nagaland being the first Northeastern state to attain statehood.
Pointing out that there was acute shortage of medical professionals, Kath said that 57 Primary Health Centres (PHCs) across Nagaland were operating without a single doctor. Given that each PHC serves 15-20 villages, he said this has created a healthcare vacuum in rural areas, leaving thousands of citizens without access to timely medical care.
Stating that the situation in Zunheboto was particularly concerning, Kath said medical faculty members were present, but lack of radiology services prevented effective medical procedures from being conducted. “The overall shortage of doctors, nurses, and paramedical staff has further worsened the healthcare crisis in the state,” he added.
Kath also took a dig at the state government’s special recruitment drive for medical staff and strongly slammed the allocation of 175 extra marks to candidates who worked during COVID-19.
He claimed it violated constitutional provisions for equal employment opportunities. Kath argued that in Manipur, similar COVID-related recruitments awarded only 10 additional marks, making Nagaland’s policy “highly disproportionate and unfair.”
Further, Kath alleged financial mismanagement within the health department. He claimed that despite the reported expenditure of Rs.40-240 crore on equipment upgrades in 2023-24, no visible improvements have been made in hospitals.
“Where has all the money gone? There is no sign of any major upgrades, and the public continues to suffer due to lack of facilities,” he questioned and demanded transparency and accountability from the government.