Itanagar: Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Sunday admitted that the pandemic has been an eye-opener for the state government prompting it to revamp the health sector in the last 18 months which it could not do in decades.
The government has learnt the lesson the hard way due to the outbreak of COVID-19 and is developing the sector through the creation of infrastructure.
It was this pandemic that enabled us to right’ the wrong’ and revamp the health sector in the last one and half years that we couldn’t do in decades, the chief minister said.
Khandu said this while laying the foundation stone of a 200-bedded speciality unit of the Ramakrishna Hospital here.
Being the chief minister even I was not aware of the status of our health facilities, especially at the ground level. Due to the pandemic, we repeated reviews, consultations, and meetings at all levels, which subsequently revealed the poor condition of our health infrastructure. I
We are completely overhauling infrastructure and facilities of all the district hospitals. We have recruited and will continue recruiting sufficient doctors, including specialists, nurses of all categories, paramedics, and other sanitary and assisting staff as required, he said.
Khandu also informed that the government has decided to select and develop one hospital each in every assembly constituency with all facilities.
Applauding the role of Ramakrishna Mission Hospital here in the fight against COVID-19, the chief minister said doctors, nurses, paramedics, and all staff of the facility had done everything possible for taking care of the sick and needy during the pandemic.
People of the state, particularly residents of Itanagar, remain indebted to the R K Mission, he said.
Khandu also dedicated the newly installed Siemens Magnetom 1.3 Tesla MRI machine of the hospital to the people.
Acknowledging the contribution of the R K Mission in the health and education sectors, the chief minister said it was payback’ time for the state government.
Therefore, we decided that the proposed 200 bedded multi-specialty hospital should be established as part of the R K Mission Hospital, Khandu said.
The chief minister requested the management to set a target of two years for completion of the project so that it can start serving people at the earliest.
He suggested that the upcoming hospital building should be environment-friendly and be constructed keeping in mind the natural ambience.
Remembering his late father and former chief minister, Dorjee Khandu’s close association with the hospital (the facility has a ward named after Dorjee Khandu), the chief minister assured the state government’s support to it in the years to come.
As a gesture of appreciation and gratitude, he donated Rs 20 lakh to the hospital.