Our Correspondent Kohima | February 5 Nagaland state is facing a huge challenge in its endeavour to provide health care that is accessible and affordable to all, according to the Nagaland Vision 2030 document. “Public health care infrastructure is what the people depend on in a state and still has locations that are not connected by proper roads,” the document stated adding that in the present times, the government will continue to play the primary role in providing health care but the focus needs to gradually shift to promoting more private investments in health care delivery. For the immediate short term goals, the state should, in the next five years, aim to refurbish the existing hospital network. Presently, the few private hospitals are concentrated only in the urban areas of Kohima and Dimapur, and to some extent in Mokokchung and Wokha. The tertiary care segment that is in its nascent stage needs a dedicated and focused push by the state government, so that by 2030, the tertiary cancer care centre and the Nagaland Medical College and hospital become fully functional. The vision document stated that Nagaland has an impressive health care infrastructure of 396 sub centres, 128 primary health centres and 21 community health centres for a population of 19, 78, 502 (Census 2011). Strengthening the existing physical infrastructures and relocation of some centres are required to remove inaccessibility and also to reduce low usage of health facilities. It is a fact that even though the state would continue to remain the larger player in providing services, given the present and the future expected levels of public expenditure, inducement of private investment in this sector is critical. The Vision document pointed to a need for total revamp in the healthcare system. The state should look at introducing a system of user fee even in government run medical facilities so that the public feels both a sense of ownership of the hospital and in turn confident to demand a certain level of service delivery, it stated. The success of Naga Hospital in management of its affairs after being turned into a separate authority needs to be studied and should be replicated, it added. To balance out the skewed pattern of private investments and low government spending in health care infrastructure, the vision document suggested the sector look at devising a strategy of area wise investment so that the first push of growth covers the uncovered and the under-served areas. “Merely investing in upgrading the hospital infrastructure without all round growth will show only a partial picture of development,” it stated. Further, it stated that roads, electricity, along with doctors and medicines are required to complement efficient delivery of healthcare services. The Vision suggested that the state have adequate health care workers by 2025, set up diagnostic centres in all districts and establish at least a medical college and a cancer specialty centre by 2023. Simultaneously, the vision document also recommended establishing super specialty health care service by 2025, integrating health services, and introducing health insurance coverall by 2030.
