Newmai News Network
Aizawl | February 3
Mizoram Health minister Dr. R. Lalthangliana on Monday said the Mizoram government would soon establish cancer speciality hospital in Aizawl.
“We are going to establish a cancer speciality hospital within a few months time from now. We have approached Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for financial support. Hopefully the proposed hospital will be one of the best of its kind in the Northeast,” Lalthangliana said while addressing party workers at Mizo Hnam Run here on Monday.
He said that the project would cost Rs 500 crore and the government would engage international-standard architectural plan. He also said that the construction is likely to begin in two-three months.
According to the minister, Mizoram has been facing tremendous problem in treating cancer due to lack of facilities in the existing cancer hospital at Zemabawk in Aizawl, which is equipped with unsophisticated therapy machines.
“We have purchased Rs 10 crore worth machines for treating cancer patients and we are planning to establish one of the best cancer speciality hospitals in the Northeast,” he further said.
The Health minister then said that the proposed hospital, when completed, will benefit people from both within and outside the state.
“The proposed hospital will immensely benefit the people especially within Mizoram as it would ease them from spending huge money and time because they will no more have to go outside the state for treatment,” the Health minister said.
The proposed cancer speciality hospital would be set up at the site of the existing cancer hospital at Zemabawk on the eastern outskirt of Aizawl, he added.
According to the Health minister, the Mizoram government has already obtained a Rs 482 crore sanction order from North Eastern Council (NEC) to upgrade of Regional Institute of Paramedical and Nursing Sciences (RIPANS) near the proposed site of cancer speciality hospital.
He then said that the state government is making massive effort to upgrade the existing 300 health sub-centres into "health and wellness centres" by 2023.
Lalthangliana also said that he visited the United States in January and sought helps from United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS) to fight against the growing spread of AIDS in the state.
Citing about the outbreak of the deadly Coronavirus in China’s Wuhan, the Mizoram Health minister said that the state government has set up task force committee to monitor any measure related on the prevention of the spread of the disease.
“Apart from regular screening of passengers at Lengpui airport, we are planning to set up a 'screening check post' at Zokhawthar on the Mizoram-Myanmar border and inter-state borders,” he said.
He added that two people, who returned to Mizoram from China recently, have also been screened and were confirmed negative for the deadly virus.
