Chizokho Vero
October 10
KOHIMA (MExN): Health and Family welfare Minister Dr TM Lotha has reiterated the State Government’s stand on the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed with the Emmanuel Hospital Association (EHA) and Christian Medical Centre (CMC) Vellore for running the affairs of Referral Hospital Dimapur (RHD). “We stand by the MoU. The decision has been taken up by the State Cabinet” Dr Lotha said in an exclusive interview granted to The Morung Express at his official residence on Thursday last.
Dr Lotha said that the State Government had signed the MoU with the two medical institutions in which a society – Christian Institute of Health Sciences and Research Society—was formed to run a medical and nursing college in the State. “We have the support of the Naga Hoho, NSF, Naga Mother’s Association and NBCC” Dr. Lotha said.
Maintaining that to own a medical and nursing college has been a long felt desire of the Naga people he lamented that “the NDA filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) which is against the wishes of Naga people because Naga people want to have a medical and nursing college in Nagaland. The action of the NDA means they do not want medical and nursing college, he said adding “so this is directly against the interest of Naga people.”
Dr P Ngully, President of the NDA, when contacted by The Morung Express declined to give any comment. “The case is in the court. It is for the Court to use its wisdom in this matter” Dr Ngully said. The NDA it may be mentioned had filed the PIL against the tripartite agreement challenging it on various grounds and alleging that the State Government was privatizing the Referral Hospital Dimapur to CISHR, as per the MoU dated January 25, 2005 signed in this respect.
The NDA has alleged that under the agreement the state government is obliged to transfer the land and premises of the existing Referral Hospital over to the said society by way of lease. In the event of the society’s dissolution any remaining property including land, infrastructure, immovable assets etc would not be handed back to the people nor the State but to other private institutions.
Another point which the NDA has found ground to oppose the MoU is that there are no specific recruitment policies for Naga doctors. Both the MoUs, the NDA alleged did not define properly on the status or quota that local doctors/medical graduates et al would be assigned in the administration of the hospital. The NDA in its PIL further pointed out that the society would be responsible for running the management but all other expenses would be borne by the State. The NDA further pointed out that the government would be obligated to divert fund of Rs 35.6 crores directly to the society and not to the public fund as part of the initial estimate for setting up the hospital project.
The NDA objected in particular to the provision whereby the society (CISHR) would only contribute manpower while exerting complete control in recruitment, directorial decisions and managerial applications whereas the entire expenses were to be borne by the Nagaland government.
The NDA PIL also brought to the notice the fact that the State government would be obligated to clear all pending financial liabilities accrued by the hospital since its inception in 1965, thereby cutting into the state exchequer. Apart from these, the NDA alleged that the MoUs did not clearly address the issue of actual up-gradation of the hospital to “Medical and nursing college” or even its creation.
