Nagaland Health Minister P Paiwang Konyak and other officials during the review meeting.
Kohima, February 9 (MExN): The Nagaland Department of Health and Family Welfare held its first review meeting of 2025 on February 5, chaired by Health Minister P. Paiwang Konyak at the Directorate. The meeting, which lasted nearly seven hours, addressed key challenges faced by the department.
Opening the session, Konyak urged officials from various divisions to take serious note of the discussions to ensure the smooth functioning of the department and the effective delivery of services to the public.
Director-cum-Dean of Nagaland Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (NIMSR), Dr. Soumya Chakraborty, provided an update on the institution's infrastructure, staffing, academic programs, and student activities, emphasizing that the college was maintaining high educational standards.
On the progress of the upcoming Mon Medical College, the executive engineer in charge reported that construction was 28% complete and expressed confidence that the infrastructure would be finished by the November 2026 deadline.
Addressing manpower shortages, Konyak instructed the principal director to convene a meeting and submit an action plan at the next review meeting. He stated that the recruitment of staff nurses would proceed based on cabinet approval. The meeting also discussed redundant positions, forming a committee to reassess and redesignate posts as needed.
Regarding staff transfers, the minister directed officials to prioritize the posting of specialists in district hospitals. He added that excess doctors stationed at certain district hospitals would be reassigned to areas facing shortages.
On issues concerning the Chief Minister's Health Insurance Scheme (CMHIS) and Ayushman Bharat-Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY), Konyak called for an immediate meeting with the insurance company and private doctors' association to address grievances and bottlenecks for smooth implementation.
Other topics reviewed included the North East Special Infrastructure Development Scheme (NESIDS), Prime Minister’s Development Initiative for North East (PM-DeviNE), Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) projects, the National Health Mission (NHM), Nagaland State AIDS Control Society (NSACS) programs, and updates on the Tertiary Cancer Care Centre. The minister instructed officials to submit action plan reports on all issues at the next review meeting, scheduled in two months.
Konyak also ordered the immediate shutdown of all unlicensed pharmacies and those operating without qualified pharmacists.
He directed the Drug Control authority to take action against 24 pharmacies found operating illegally during a statewide inspection in November. He warned that similar enforcement would be carried out across Dimapur, Niuland, Chümoukedima, Mokokchung, Tuensang, and Mon, with further action in other districts if violations were detected during upcoming inspections.
He added that streamlining drug licensing would create employment opportunities for qualified pharmacies.
