Morung Express News
Kohima | June 4
Amidst the uproar that followed the announcement to set up a makeshift COVID Hospital at Christian Institute of Health Sciences & Research (CIHSR), Dimapur with a Rs 30 crore budget, state health officials clarified that it is not a makeshift COVID Hospital but an Acute Care Hospital—a pre-engineered facility with the ‘most modern acute care facilities.’
During a press conference on Friday evening at the Directorate of Health & Family Welfare, Principal Secretary Amardeep Singh Bhatia said, “in view of the emergent requirement of ICU and oxygen supported beds for COVID patients, it was envisaged to create a hospital facility in the shortest possible time as a regular hospital would ordinarily take a minimum of 2-3 years.”
Presenting the concept of the project, Bhatia explained that a makeshift or field hospital was not considered suitable as it is a very temporary facility and could not be put to future use. Accordingly, he said the proposal for a pre-engineered hospital with the most modern acute care facilities was considered.
“The hospital will be completed in about three months’ time after obtaining the necessary approvals,” Bhatia said, adding that in view of the emergency, approvals for the hospital have been fast tracked by invoking the provisions of the Disaster Management Act, 2005.
He said the decision to set up the hospital at the CIHSR was taken because of the availability of land with an area of 43,163 sq ft, and also to converge human resources already available with CIHSR.
The hospital, he informed is a smart acute care hospital and the structure will be made of ‘steel and tempered glass’ and not a ‘tentage’ as reported. “The guaranteed life of the building shall be 20 years and can last much longer with proper care and maintenance,” Bhatia said.
While the initial proposal of the hospital was for 176 beds, Bhatia said it has been expanded to 200 beds by including a 24-bedded paediatric ICU ward, “keeping in view of the predicted third wave that may affect children.”
“Thus, the hospital will now be a 200-bedded hospital to meet the immediate needs of the COVID-19 patients and would also function as a full-fledged Acute Care Hospital to deliver high quality tertiary care post pandemic as well,” Bhatia maintained.
Giving a break-up of the facilities, the Principal Secretary said a total of 108 ICU beds have been envisaged including 24 paediatric ICU beds, 88 HDU beds, 4 dialysis beds, 4 for emergency and physical digital dispensary for telemedicine (OPD).
On Noklak district
Although Noklak is a district, it does not have a designated district hospital, chief medical officer and medical officer.
When queried on this, Principal Director Dr Neikhrielie Khimiao said “the total planning of the district hospital was not implemented, so there is no designated CMO and MO.” However, the Community Health Centre (CHC) is being converted to COVID Hospital with 30 beds.
Principal Secretary Bhatia also informed that the government has proposed to upgrade the health facility to 50 beds with funding under National Health Mission (NHM). Presently, the district COVID data are being tallied under Tuensang district, it was informed.
Human resources
While there is a persistent shortage of human resources in the department despite the recent recruitments, Dr Khimiao said, “Over the years, the department is trying its best to fill in the gaps, but in such a pandemic situation, we cannot create or arrange manpower to fill in all the gaps overnight.”
“We need proper planning,” he added.
He also stated that with the recent recruitment in the department and even through NHM, the department is addressing the shortage of human resources in the villages where there is no workforce, especially pertaining to doctors.
Adding to this, Bhatia also maintained that “private doctors in private sectors cannot be ignored,” and informed that 550 doctors, 88 junior medical officers, 302 staff nurses under NHM, 391 Auxiliary nurse midwives (ANMs) and 80 lab technicians are being deployed across the state. “Beyond that, even if we create posts, we have no doctors available in the state,” Bhatia stated.
