Minister of Health & Family Welfare P. Paiwang Konyak along with Commissioner & Secretary Y. Kikheto Sema IAS met V. Hekali Zhimomi Additional Secretary and Director General NACO Ministry of Health & Family Welfare in Delhi on 24th May 2023 and deliberated on various issues about Medical College, HIV & AIDS, Nursing College, and Tobacco Control.

Minister thanked the Ministry and NMC for granting LOP for the NIMSR Kohima and seek continuous support as the State plans to start the first academic session from the current year 2023-24. Regarding the Mon Medical College, Konyak requested the Ministry to consider it as Regional Institute under Centre Government as there is no Institute of National or Regional importance in the State of Nagaland.

Kikheto appreciated the Ministry for providing all assistance in the control of HIV & AIDS and stated that Nagaland being the 2nd highest HIV & AIDS prevalent in the country, the State is taking seriously to Test, Treat, and create massive awareness campaign involving all stakeholders including NGOs and Churches. He said that the State has taken a new initiative in coordination with the State GIS cell to use drones for timely delivery of drugs and equipment. He requested the Ministry to sanction for procurement of drones under the new innovative scheme. Sema also stated that Nagaland being the 2nd highest consumption of Tobacco and its related product in the Country, the State had recently declared Tobacco Free Zone in all the Govt. and Private Hospitals and Schools in the State.

Paiwang also thanked the Ministry for approving the upgradation of three Nursing schools to Nursing Colleges in the District Hospital of Dimapur, Kohima, and Mokokchung and requested to further provide more nursing colleges in the State in PPP mode.

Hekali Zhimomi appreciated the State initiatives taken in recent days regarding the awareness of AIDS and HIV and suggested increasing the surveillance, treatment, and preventive measures which will be supported by the Ministry. She also appreciated the initiative taken on awareness of Tobacco and declaring the Tobacco Free Zone in Health institutions and Schools. She suggested collaborating with NGOs who are in the field to achieve its desired goal.

Zhimomi opined that there are a lot of avenues in the Nursing Sector and encouraged the State to start the three Nursing colleges at the earliest.

                                                                                   (DIPR)