Nagaland chief minister Neiphiu Rio Friday, inaugurated the state’s first 200-bed Acute Care Hospital Block (ACHB) at Christian Institute of Health Sciences & Research (CIHSR) and also purportedly, the world’s first to have been completed within a span of 100 days.
Speaking on the occasion, the chief minister acknowledged that M/s Glocal Healthcare Systems Private Ltd, Kolkata, had completed construction of the 200-bedded hospital in a record time. He also said construction of the ACHB would not have been possible without the support of his ministerial colleagues, especially the minister in-charge of the health & family welfare (H & FW), and collective efforts of all, besides the supervision conducted by engineering wing and taskforce chairman and NSDMA.
Rio also expressed the hope that the facility would prove helpful for people of the State. He also recalled criticisms levelled against the government for providing the facility at CIHSR and not at a government hospital (made by an opposition leader prior to formation of the current all-party government) as published in the print and social media.
Rio clarified that the facility was set up at CIHSR since the state government was in partnership with the society (CIHSR) in a (tripartite agreement with CMC Vellore and Emmanuel Hospital Association). Rio opined that instead Nagas should be happy that the society (CIHSR) has “come to help us” to provide quality health care services. He said this while recalling how the government decided to enter into a tripartite agreement with CMC Vellore and Emmanuel Hospital Association (EHA) to run the erstwhile Referral Hospital on grounds of not having funds or expertise.
He said since the state government was unable to provide fund for construction of the 200-bedded facility, so it had to look elsewhere.
Turning on Covid vaccination, Rio stressed its importance that vaccination was the only prevention and protection from the virus as presently there is no medicine to fight the virus.
The chief minister also mentioned that the state government will set a target to achieve 100% vaccination by March 2022. Rio admitted that Nagaland is among the most backward states in the country and had earned some dubious distinctions which he said "all of us have to overcome". The chief minister however maintained that people may be poor but not backward and the reason being the unresolved Naga political issue.
He also said criticisms against the state for being among the bottom of the table on Covid vaccination was due to rumour mongers who he said were responsible for vaccine hesitancy.
On the upcoming Hornbill Festival, the chief minister said only vaccinated tourists will be allowed to visit the state. He also urged upon health workers to administer the second dose of vaccine to tourists on demand, provided the requisite timeline between first and second doses was followed.
Deputy chief minister Y Patton, who also spoke on the occasion, conveyed his appreciation to the chief minister and Glocal Healthcare Systems Pvt Ltd for building the facility and hoped that it would be utilised in most effective manner by highly skilled and experienced doctors to provide best healthcare to the State’s citizens.
Health minister Pangnyu Phom claimed that the State government had successfully tackled the Covid-19 pandemic with all its available resources under the leadership of chief minister with support from all sections of the society. Pangnyu also said that the H & FW department had gone the extra mile with its doctors, nurses, para medical staff and others working at the frontline tirelessly throughout the pandemic period, sparing little time for one’s own family and loved ones.
He noted that despite the "undue" criticisms from certain sections and other obstacles, the department had done commendable service during Covid-19. "The healthcare workers are our real heroes, for whom we should pay our earnest respect", he stated.
Phom appealed to those who were yet to take vaccine to get vaccinated before it was too late and not to take the virus lightly. "We should believe in science and experience of other nations rather than rumours based on ignorance," he stressed.
He remarked that Nagas were fortunate to have 200-bed ACHB, which was a pre-engineered structure (modular steel & glass building), which would help manage current pandemic and also act as an acute care hospital post pandemic. "The hospital building will be a permanent structure with only ICU/HDU beds with ventilators, Bipaps, HFNC, oxygen facility, etc, and will serve as top facility for acute care post pandemic," he added.
He thanked Glocal Healthcare Systems Private Ltd, Kolkata for making the project a reality. Delivering a short speech, M/S Glocal Healthcare Systems Pvt Ltd director, Dr. Syed Azim claimed that ACHB was the first 200-bedhospital in the world to be completed in 100 days. He said the technology used in building the structure were only used for making tall buildings.
Dr Azim also claimed that the facility was the world’s first digital acute care hospital and that in times of shortage of doctors, "we could actually use doctors from anywhere for advising and to see patients live".
Earlier, the programme was chaired by CIHSR director Dr Sedevi, and invocation was offered by the hospital’s chaplain, Atsung Imchen.
H & FW department principal secretary Amardeep S Bhatia gave a brief on the project, while opening address was delivered by chief secretary J Alam.
