IMPHAL, November 2: The India Today Group has awarded Manipur as the best performing state in health sector in the small state category, during a function held today at Hyatt Regency, New Delhi.
The award was received by Phungzathang Tonsing, Minister of state Health and Family welfare which was handed over to him by Sharad Pawar, Union Minister of Agriculture, Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution, said a statement from the Manipur Information Centre, New Delhi.
During the Award distribution ceremony, Manipur Health Minister Phungzathang Tonsing was accompanied by Ram Muivah, Principal Secretary (Health and Family Welfare), Deves Deval, State Mission Director, and NRHM Manipur said the statement.
The small state category include Arunachal Pradesh, Puducherry, Sikkim, Goa, Tripura, Nagaland, Delhi, Mizoram, Meghalaya and Manipur.
The press released further maintained that despite many challenges, the general Health status in Manipur has considerably improved.
This has been demonstrated by good level of indicators in key areas which are above of India averages. In the case of Infant Mortality Rate, Manipur with a rate of 11 is one of the lowest in the country along with Goa.
Manipur’s Maternal Mortality Rate is 160 and Total Fertility Rate is 1.5%. It may be recalled that this is the second time for Manipur Health Department receiving an award after 1986 when the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare presented an award in health sector to Manipur.
The study was conducted by India Today in association with economics research firm Indicus Analytics. Further it added that for governance, Kerala has bagged the award in the big state category and Goa in the small state category. For infrastructure, in the big state Maharashtra was adjudged as the best and Delhi in the small State.