A view of the District Hospital Dimapur. Western Sumi Baptist Akukuhou Kuqhakulu (WSBAK) donated Reverse Osmosis (RO) Water Purification Plant and Dialysis Unit was inaugurated at the District Hospital Dimapur (DHD) on February 9. (Morung Photo)
Morung Express News
Dimapur | February 10
Ushering in noble steps forward during the COVID-19 pandemic, a Reverse Osmosis (RO) Water Purification Plant and Dialysis Unit was inaugurated at the District Hospital Dimapur (DHD), under the initiative of the Western Sumi Baptist Akukuhou Kuqhakulu (WSBAK) on February 9.
When The Morung Express contacted the WSBAK COVID-19 technical team, Dr Hotokhu Chishi said that the WSBAK is a Church-based organisation which is “equally concerned for the life and security of the people in the State.” And with the pandemic that began on March 2020, the organisation immediately took up the task of selecting the technical team on COVID-19.
“We cannot expect everything from the Government of India or the Government of Nagaland. We ought to have our own part and every community has the opportunity to participate and save a life.”
- Dr Hotokhu Chishi
WSBAK COVID-19 technical team
He shared that the technical team was officially set up in the month of March 2020 with seven members and started to work on how they can step in to help “our people in need.”
That is where the team began to survey the needs on the basis of priority, and came upon the District Hospital Dimapur (DHD). There, the team found out that there was no Intensive Care Unit (ICU) or a dialysis unit. Considering the urgency of the situation, the team opted for the donation of one unit of Chemo dialysis.
“The District Hospital is the only hospital that will provide free service to the people, especially the helpless and the downtrodden.”
While many good hospitals have come up in town, Dr Chishi maintained that these are all paid hospitals, and “the Church’s main focus is on the helpless, the needy and the downtrodden, who cannot afford medical treatment from other hospitals.”
However, the hospital had no infrastructure to in-house the facility. That is where the Medical Superintendent of DHD, Dr Keveduyi Theyo approached the concerned contractor through verbal assurance with the Government of Nagaland, under the initiative of the Health and Family Welfare Minister, S Pangnyu Phom.
The construction started towards the end of April 2020 which was completed in November. Dr Chishi said that having already procured the equipments, they installed the facility in December and planned on dedicating it that same month.
Unfortunately, the government could not pay the contractor on time. Hence, sensing some hiccup, the team approached the contractor. To their relief, the contractor readily obliged. “The contractor was gracious enough to allow us to start utilizing the facility since December,” said Dr Chishi.
Still, receiving a nod from the government only this February, the WSBAK dedicated the RO Plant and Dialysis Unit at the DHD on February 9.
Terming Dimapur district as ‘unique,’ in the sense that ‘other districts are tribal specific,’ Dr Chishi encouraged every citizen and every community to have ‘ownership responsibility.’
“We cannot expect everything from the Government of India or the Government of Nagaland. We ought to have our own part and every community has the opportunity to participate and save a life.”
Stating that the dialysis machine is ‘to save life and to extend life,’ he said that since the onset of the pandemic “we have lost many lives, which may have been either saved or would have been life extended.”
Regretting that the DHD has been sidelined all along, he said that it was “unfair on the part of the government to sideline the DHD without providing a single ICU or Dialysis Unit prior to the pandemic.”
Dr Chishi expressed gratitude to all the donors who were mostly young people (around 780 donors) that came forward with whatever amount they could, with some donating a few hundred rupees to thousands. “It is very encouraging to see that the youths are well concerned on the affairs of life.” He said the donation amounted to around Rs 19 lakh.
Medical Superintendent of DHD, Dr Theyo welcomed the much needed facility, and said that it has an advantage with the Blood Bank in the same hospital.
Dr Theyo informed that the WSBAK provided one unit of Chemo Dialysis along with the bed, RO water treatment Plant which will be sufficient for four dialysis units to be functional, one Air Conditioner, online UPS, Receptionist desk and other necessary accessories which are needed for the facility. So basically, they have provided everything, added Dr Theyo.
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