Chief Minister N Biren on Saturday inaugurated the 30-bedded psychiatry ward, public waiting shed, and Child care centre at the Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences (JNIMS) in Imphal.
“Inaugurated the 30-bedded Psychiatry Ward, Child Care Centre and Public Waiting Shed at JNIMS. With initiatives like CMHT, CM’s Health for All, PMJAY, and robust development of healthcare infrastructure in the last five years, we have been able to uplift the health sector to a great extent,” the chief minister tweeted.
Addressing the event, Biren said that mental illness in the state is growing by the day considering that Manipur is largely affected by drug menace and insurgency issues. Considering the prevailing scenario, there is a dire need of opening a psychiatric department.
Biren said that the present government has a keen interest in providing proper healthcare to every citizen of the state. As such, various health-related schemes and construction are being taken up, he added.
The cancer hospital, to be set up under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model, will be operational by this December, Biren said.
The COVID-19 dedicated hospital set up at Kiyamgei will be turned into Maternity and Childcare Hospital. He further said that ICU bed facility is available in all the district hospitals of Manipur and that TeleICU service was recently inaugurated and Churachandpur Medical College will start it very soon.
Biren also reiterated that there was no need to go outside the state for health treatment as healthcare facilities have improved so much in the last few years and that the state government will also try to enhance the infrastructure to its finest level. The shortage of specialist doctors will be filled up soon too, the CM said.
Talking about the ‘War on Drugs.2’ campaign, the CM said that they underwent many obstacles in the first phase of ‘War on Drugs’. But this time, with the support and cooperation received from all communities, the mission is being executed effectively, Biren said, adding that from the last three months, drugs and intoxicant items worth about Rs 1,040 crore have been seized.
He also highly appreciated the staff of JNIMS for performing their duty with professional ethics and keeping the institute with “hospital-like atmosphere”.
Health Minister Dr. Sapam Ranjan said that opening a psychiatric department is a long-standing need of the state. This department would surely help in addressing mental disorder issues in the state to some extent, he said.
He also expressed his opinion about the need of doing population growth analysis in connection with reducing the fertility rate. Further, he mentioned the plan to set up a department for Thalassemia at JNIMS.
Dr Ranjan said that with the launching of Chief Minister’s Health for All and Chief Minister gi Hakselgi Tengbang, people have reduced their expenditure on health treatment. The state government is aggressively implementing CMHA with the objective to cater to almost all the districts of the state, he added.
Other dignitaries who attended the function were Minister of CAF and PD/PHED, L Sushindro Meitei; Additional Chief Secretary of Health and Family Welfare, Government of Manipur, V Vumlunmang; Director of JNIMS L. Deben Singh; Chief Secretary Rajesh Kumar and MLA of Lamlai constituency, Kh Ibomcha Singh as guests of honor.