By James Kh
IMPHAL, February 1: Imphal West District has garnered second position in India on Health Development Index according to latest data available at National Survey Sample Office.
The index is based on data on currently married women, if they were 18 at the time of marriage, if they received post natal care within 48 hours, used contraception, were aware of HIV/AIDS, and if their last two children between 12 and 23 months of age were fully immunized.
In a press conference, Okram Ibomcha, State Health Director at Health Directorate Lamphel elaborated the achievement saying work is in progress for other districts of the State as well to score in the Health Development Index.
He said that in the next two three years Manipur will have enough doctor as per World Health Organization guidelines of one doctor in one thousand population. As of now the State has the ratio of 1:1100 doctors (one doctor for one thousand one hundred people). Altogether there are 2429 Allopathy Doctors and 540 Ayush Doctors.
Manipur has the right ratio of WHO guidelines of 1:1000 in terms of Ayush doctors.
He said there is one nurse in 260 people in Manipur which is a good number. India as a whole has only one nurse for 2450 population. This is one of the reasons why Manipur has scored best Infant Mortality Rate or stood second after Goa in the last few years.
O Ibomcha who is also the director of NHM further said that the State Health Society is extending health care for Trauma, Cancer, Diabetes, Iodine Deficiency, Malaria, Tuberculosis etc.
He continued that the State Cabinet has already approved on tertiary health care sector where a new hospital will be established in Imphal area. Specialist doctors who passed out from Manipur needs to get employed in the State and the two medical institutes like JNIMS and RIMS cannot meet the demands so the new hospital will also serve as a good employment avenue, he said.
The director appealed to the village chiefs, public and civil society organizations to give full cooperation to the newly posted doctor.
He also urged the doctors to be dutiful and committed in their endeavour towards a good health care in the State.
`We have to provide quarters for the doctors to make them stay at their postings. Water supply and electricity also needs to be provided efficiently at these health centres. For all these, we are preparing a budget which will be placed before the government soon,` he said.
O Ibomcha also informed that work is on to convert all Primary Health Centres and Community Health Centres to 24X7 delivery points. There are also sub-centres where delivery is taking place, he added.