Kohima, January 20 (MExN): A one-day technical seminar on ‘Preparatory Survey on Nagaland Medical College Hospital Development Project’ to enhance the effectiveness of the project by introducing the knowledge, technology and good practices of Japan and other states to Department of Health and Family Welfare and Nagaland Medical College Hospital under the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Survey Team was conducted at Hotel Vivor, Kohima on January 20.
As per a DIPR report the Commissioner & Secretary, Health and Family Welfare, Y Kikheto Sema, IAS said the population of Nagaland is less but faces a lot of challenges due to its topographical and geographical condition, and health is one of the most important sectors that need to be addressed.
“Now with peace prevailing in the state and the project to have a medical college set up, a good hospital is needed,” he asserted.
For a regional or national institute, the state would depend only on loan assistance from Union Government and also support from the Union Government and external agencies for various reasons, he mentioned.
He informed that the first project with JICA was initiated in 2015 with 533 crore of which 115 crore have been availed in 2019 and the project would wind up on March 31, 2027.
Kikheto thanked JICA for coming forward to help set up the 400 bedded hospital and was hopeful that the project would be successful in letter as well as in spirit.
‘The burning desire of the state government was to provide affordable and equitable health service to its people,’ he said and therefore, called upon all officers to come together as without a hospital, the medical college would be of no use.
Through the workshop, he hoped the members present should work out the work distribution, see what they want the government to do, and also what the JICA team should do so that what is expected is achieved.
Kikheto said there are 608 district hospitals, CSCs, PSCs, and primary health centres across the state and called upon the officers and staff of the department to see to the needs of the people, especially in the rural areas. “Since the infrastructures of these hospitals and centres are in a bad shape,” he called upon the JICA team “if they could take up such smaller projects too and also put out the offer to any individuals or organization of the state.”
Team Leader, JICA Survey Team, Keiko Nagai in her keynote address highlighted the project objective, its component, target area, concerned agencies, preparatory survey, the three accessibilities to be improved for UHC, and schedule of the preparation stage for 2023. She also highlighted the JICA and Official Development Aid (ODA) Loan and Applicable Japanese Technology and Experiences for the project.
Professor, Faculty of Chemistry for Medicine, Kagawa University, Prof Kenji Wada highlighted the contents of the lessons one can learn from JICA Advanced Training for AIIMS and relevant Institutes. Medical Human Resources Development Expert, JICA Survey Team, Dr Yoshihisa Yamazaki and Yukari Oshima explained on the examples of clinical training in teaching hospital in Japan.
A nine-member JICA Survey Team is participating in the technical seminar.
