Manipur: Super-speciality health facilities in 4 hill district soon

Imphal: The government has made the decision to construct super-speciality healthcare facilities and infrastructure in the four hill districts of Senapati, Ukhrul, Tamenglong, and Chandel as soon as possible so that patients from remote villages do not have to travel to Imphal or other cities for treatment, Chief Minister N Biren Singh said on Thursday.

CM Singh spoke as the chief guest at the inaugural function of the Tekru-Nge Celebration at Jessami village in Ukhrul district. The festival, celebrated under the theme “Walking through the diversity and richness of Jessami,” will continue until January 21.

The CM said despite the lack of specialists doctors in the hill districts, treatments for diseases requiring specialist doctors are conducted through Tele-ICU in the hill district hospitals.

“We are also trying to increase the number of super specialist doctors, the chief minister said referring to the shortage of doctors in the state,” he said

CM Singh also highlighted the developmental changes that have been witnessed in the state and said that this has been made possible with the support and cooperation of the people. He added that peace in the state has brought about development.

Highlighting the development of the Heritage Park at Makhel, the chief minister stressed the importance of the brotherly relationship among the communities and spoke about the unity of the people in the state. He further urged all to refrain from distorting history and said that today, history has repeated itself and the people have become united again.

Reiterating that the main vision for launching the ‘Go To Hills’ and ‘Go To Village’ schemes was to identify the needs of the villages in the interior parts of the state, Singh said that following the launch of these schemes in the previous term, the government was able to identify the lack of infrastructure, including roads, schools, offices, and health facilities in the interior parts.

CM Biren Singh also said that unfortunately in the last term, the government didn’t get much time to work for the people as the COVID pandemic had spoiled around two and a half years out of the five years.

Fortunately, during that short period in the last term, with the Prime Minister’s guidance, who assured budgetary support to the Minority and Other Backward Classes Department, around Rs 1200 crore was invested in projects in the hill districts through the department, the chief minister said highlighting the inauguration of the Model Residential School, LM Block, Ukhrul District and Women’s Market in the hill districts. He further said that similar Model Residential Schools are being constructed at seven places, Sadbhavna Mandaps, Women’s Markets, Oxygen Plants, transit accommodations, etc are being constructed in the hill districts.

As part of the celebration, CM Biren also dedicated the Model Residential School, LM Block, Ukhrul and Cave Tourism Project at Khangkhui Cave to the public and inaugurated the display of cultural and WWII-related items.

He also mentioned that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked all chief ministers to convey his gratitude to the people for their support and cooperation and to express that it is due to the public support that India is where it is today.

He asked the Deputy Commissioner to use the infrastructures inaugurated today judiciously so that the public can benefit from the new infrastructures.

The Chief Minister also assured the construction of office buildings for the Additional SP and ADC as soon as possible and said that he will look into the memorandum submitted by the people, including making the SBI branch operational to ease monetary transactions.

He also asked the villagers to submit a report, with proper geo-tagging and mapping through the DC, for the development of a wildlife sanctuary in a nearby forest area that houses different faunas, including the Nongyin bird.

The inaugural function was also attended by Ministers Khashim Vashum, H Dingo Singh, MLA Thangjam Arun Kumar among others.

A border village, Jessami is located in the extreme north of Manipur and borders with Phek district in Nagaland.

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