Chizokho Vero
Phek | December 17
a community and people has a vital role to play in healthcare and being health conscious will go a long way, said Nagaland Governor K Sankaranarayanan. He was addressing the inaugural programme of a primary health center in Phek.
“Healthcare is not just going to a doctor and getting medicines for cure from the diseases. It is something more: it includes all the determinants of good health – good nutrition, sanction, hygiene and safe drinking water,” the governor said, citing instances of health awareness. It also includes improvement of health infrastructure as also better management of resources including community participation and a sense of ownership of assets. “The role of community in ensuring good health is as important. Assets can be created by government and until and unless the community owns it and contributes to maintain it, the standards will go down” he reminded.
He said upgrading health facilities for citizens is a prime focus area of the National Rural Health Mission which has identified Nagaland as one of the eighteen special-focus states in the country for improving health services in mission mode.
Referring to the new building, he however said “but a building alone will not help in getting good health care. Most doctors agree that good care plays as important role in healing as the medicines and other tests using machines etc. Good care comes from doctors, nurses, paramedics and staff of the hospital.”
The governor also expressed concern that “very often we find that doctors when they get posted to remote areas, they remain absent from duty. Another practice, he said, is staff getting attached to district hospitals “or to some other office.” Sankaranarayanan said such a trend should be discouraged.
“People also have a very crucial role to play in health care. We all know prevention is better than cure. How can this be done. We must ensure good nutrition especially for pregnant women and children” he said and reminded the gathering that “sanitation and hygiene is vital for good health”. Drawing an analogy he said Sikkim was awarded by the President of India for being the only state where all households have a toilet. “If Sikkim can do it why not Ruzazho and Phek” he challenged.
The governor was hopeful that the health workers of this PHC and sub-centers would educate the villagers about the importance of having safe drinking water and immunization against diseases. Also stressing on the need to have a medical college in Nagaland, he hoped that the state would get the same by 2009.
“I am hopeful that in a few years, we will be able to upgrade one of our hospitals to a full fledged medical college that will go a long way in improving health care in the state,” Sankaranarayanan added.
Also speaking on the occasion, minister for health & family welfare Kuzholuzo Nienu informed that the infrastructure development of Ruzazho PHC came through the combined efforts of NRHM, NEC and the state plan.
Stating that the government has already created an asset, he called upon the public to extend cooperation to the doctor and staffers. The minister said a ‘congenial atmosphere has been necessitated to enable the concerned officers to perform their duties effectively and to deliver the goods to the people’.
Urging the people to continue to uphold the spirit of unity, the minister said developmental activities will go in the right track when there is unity.
Ruzazho village is 80 km away from Kohima and about 15 minutes drive away from Chozuba ADC Headquarters.
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