‘A model for govt-run medical establishments’, lauds CS Pankaj Kumar
Morung Express News
Dimapur | November 25
The CIHSR (Christian Institute of Health Sciences and Research) has turned 10 this November. Addressing the 10th anniversary celebration today at the hospital campus, Nagaland Chief Secretary, Pankaj Kumar described the CIHSR, as a health care provider, has stood out from the rest of the flock in its short ten years of life. According to him, government-run medical establishments should learn and emulate the standard set by it.
The result of a collaboration between Christian Medical College (CMC), Vellore; Emmanuel Hospital Association (EHA), New Delhi and the Nagaland state government; the CIHSR was set rolling in 2007 after almost a two decade long wait in the pipeline with services starting in November.
“We have different public-private partnerships in the state,” Kumar said. However, he added that the CIHSR has been one of the more “exciting ones.”
Stating that the institution has come long way in terms service enhancement, Kumar said its commitment to invest in creating conditions for excellence has paid dividends in the form of performance and the people bearing testimony to it. “Any service provider gets its certificate from the clients,” he added.
As stated in the CIHSR’s vision statement, Kumar said that its objective of becoming “a centre of excellence in healthcare” will pivot around the values - honesty, transparency, integrity and compassion – it upholds. “It is because of this values that the CIHSR stands out.” He further said that setting aims and a readiness to work with other agencies is just as important.
The CIHSR’s first Director, Dr. PK John recollected his association with the CIHSR, which began in the early 90s subsequent to the state government inking a deal with CMC Vellore and EHA in 1989. “It was something I did not volunteer or apply for. The only thing I said was I did not say no,” was how Dr. John described his tryst with a fledgling CIHSR.
According to him, reality hit only when he landed up here to see a huge empty building and the enormity of the job at hand. Stating that it was an “uphill journey,” he credited the many different people who have been part of the CIHSR in one way or the other. “We have fine buildings and fine equipments. But the best thing is we have fine individuals.”
He also recollected the excitement he felt when he treated four out-patients, which also happened to be a day the institution collected Rs. 17 as registration fees.
Dr. Abraham Joseph, also a former Director, said that nurturing people, who would go on to shoulder the responsibility, is crucial in keeping the vision of the CIHSR alive. “Medical service is about teamwork. It is not one person. Each and everyone have responsibility.” He also expressed contentment that the CIHSR will have a cancer care centre in about 4-5 months time.
Serving Director, Dr. Sedevi Angami said that the expectation of the public was huge but “little did people know how fragile this institute really was and how minuscule our physical resources were” against a backdrop of “scepticism posed by several other factors.”
He said that the challenges in the early years were many that ranged from theft of construction items, the unstable political situation, doctors unwilling to join because of the meagre remuneration it could offer, funds meant for it withheld by the government to opponents in the health department thwarting “many of our efforts to get government support.”
“When we set foot into this hospital (it had) a poor reputation of a failed project that nobody wanted to own or to be associated with.”
Nevertheless, he said that hospital has persisted to stabilise into a “good secondary multispecialty centre” with several committed staff with a sense of purpose, meaning and direction. He paid credit to God and the people, who have been with the CIHSR through all the challenges.
