HT Correspondent
AGARTALA, June 13: Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Friday said that the government has made unprecedented progress in health services in the state over the last seven years and initiatives have been taken to improve the infrastructure of district and sub-division hospitals to provide access to health services for everyone.
Saha informed that a MoU will be signed with Mohan Foundation for liver transplant in Agartala in the near future.
Saha, who is also the Health Minister of the state, said this while inaugurating the new Cancer Care Facility at ILS Hospital in Agartala today.
At the event, Saha congratulated everyone present on the addition of another new wing to ILS Hospital.
He said, earlier it was believed that cancer had no answer. But in the modern era, with the advancement of science, if cancer is identified at the right time, there is indeed an answer.
“And the ILS authorities have started that work from today. ILS Hospital is providing various services. Along with this, it has created job opportunities for many youth of the state of Tripura. Every Wednesday, many patients from all over the state come to me during the Mukhyamantri Samipesu program. Most of them are from poor sections. Many people sell their land and jewelry and go outside the state for treatment. I tell them that we have all kinds of facilities here as well. The government is trying its best to improve the health sector,” he said.
He added that ILS Hospital offers various facilities, and today a state-of-the-art cancer care facility has been opened by ILS.
At the event, Saha said that cancer is the second leading cause of death in the world.
“There are different types of cancer—such as breast cancer, oral cancer, lung cancer, blood cancer, etc. Cancer can also be caused by smoking and consuming tobacco products. More awareness programs need to be conducted to prevent cancer. The ILS authorities should also come forward in this regard. The Atal Bihari Vajpayee Regional Cancer Hospital was inaugurated in Tripura on September 16, 2019. Prime Minister Narendra Modi allocated Rs 42 crore for the infrastructure development of the cancer hospital. State-of-the-art medical equipment including MRI and CT scan were installed there. The success rate of the cancer hospital so far is 27%. Our goal is to make it 50%,” he said.
The Chief Minister also said that recently a delegation led by the Director of AIIMS came to the state to look into issues related to health services.
“They provided key suggestions, including the introduction of a hospital management course. A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) will soon be signed for the training of nursing staff and senior resident doctors. Now, all types of treatment including cardiology, nephrology, neurology, urology, plastic surgery, and neurosurgery are being done at GB Hospital,” he said.
He informed that state government contemplating to introduce MD Course on Hospital Administration and Management as suggested by AIIMS team.
Saha said that there are now 400 MBBS seats in Tripura. There are 63 seats in the Government Dental College, which will be increased to 100 seats in the future.