Health Minister launches heart camp
Source: The Sangai Express / S Singlianmang Guite

Lamka, December 15 2014: Launching a free heart camp organized by Sky Hospital for school children at District Hospital Churachandpur today, Health Minister Phungzathang Tonsing said that the Health Department will utilize funds under NRHM to finance treatment of heart patients under the age of 19 .

Claiming that his priority always was finding means to prevent illness or treatment before it is too late, Tonsing said that the NRHM has made visible progress ever since it came under the purview of the Health Department.

Taking into consideration the cost involved in treating heart ailments, the Government is considering free treatment or extending maximum possible help under NRHM at Sky Hospital, which has a heart specialist, the Minister said.

He also said that the Health Department will soon extend financial aid to all women who give birth under the Centrally sponsored scheme even if the delivery was at home and not at the hospital.

This will benefit people from the interior or the poorest of the poor who do not have the means to reach a hospital.

Articulating his plans on how to recruit new nurses from now on, the Minister said that they will be appointed on contract basis with local candidates given preference and their selection based on merit.

'If a PHC in certain village is in need of three nurses, and there are four qualified nurses from the village, they will be selected based on merit, on their marks and no one will have a say in it,' he declared adding that the Chief Minister has already given a nod to the plan.

Nevertheless, he added that the process of selecting 200 nurses, interview for which has been conducted will not fall under the new proposal.

The heath camp meant for children below 10 years was organized by Sky Hospital, Imphal.

The hospital with assistance from Manipur Heart Foundation has already sponsored a child whose heart was operated upon at Fortis Hospital in New Delhi.

The Government has initiated plans to conduct such surgery at Sky Hospital and today's camp is said to be a step towards realizing that plan.

Churachandpur alone, it is said, has nearly one hundred registered children with congenial heart defects.

How many more were detected today is still not known.

Dr Okram Ibomcha Singh, Director of Health services, Lunminthang Haokip, Deputy Commissioner Churachandpur and Dr L Shyamkishore Singh, Chairman SKY group of hospitals also attended the camp.

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