Kohima: The Nagaland Medical Students’ Association (NMSA) has informed that the doctor-to-population ratio in Nagaland is a meager 1:4000, which is one doctor for every 4000 people, against the 1:1000 ratio recommended by the World Health Organisation.
According to a release issued by NMSA, speaking at the three-day biennial 24th General Conference of NMSA, its’ President Dr. Kuveluzo Chizo has cited the acute shortage of healthcare personnel in the state and maintained that free and fair opportunity should be given to all medical graduates in the recruitment process through NPSC examinations.
He said it is needed to provide the best healthcare services to the people. Dr. Chizo appealed to consider increasing the grant so that a load of their pursuit of knowledge could be reduced.
He also strongly vouch for the creation of more posts for MBBS and BDS graduates and a dental surgeon post in every Primary Health Centre (PHC) and district hospital.
He further expressed dismay over the prolonged delay in completion of the much-needed first medical college of the state in Kohima after bringing immense happiness to young medical and practicing doctors when the facility was approved about nine years ago before the actual construction work commenced in 2019.
Nagaland Director of Health and Family Welfare Dr. Visasieu Kire said that the state currently has 196 specialists, and regular in-service doctors in various clinical and managerial posts, but according to Indian Public Health Standards 2012, the state has a shortage of specialists even for district hospitals.
he informed that Nagaland has 776 health units, including district hospitals, CHCs, PHCs, sub-centers, TB and chest disease hospitals, and a state mental institute.
She also said the requirement for specialists would increase with the establishment of two medical colleges in the state, one in Kohima and the other in Mon districts, it said.
