Sikkim’s primary healthcare infra among nation’s best: Governor

GANGTOK,: Governor Ganga Prasad has extended his heartiest greetings to the people of Sikkim and the entire nation on the special occasion of 76 years of India’s Independence.
In his message, the Governor mentioned that the Government of India, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has taken the initiative to commemorate this significant milestone by marking the 75th year under the banner of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav. “The aim is to bring to light stories of our freedom struggle, stories of unsung heroes whose sacrifices made freedom a reality and to remember the journey of our nation since our Independence on 15th August 1947,” he said.
The Governor mentioned that very recently Sikkim has been placed high in the Sustainable Development Goals index designed and developed by NITI Aayog.
‘East Sikkim District was marked as the best performer amongst all the 103 districts of the NER. All the other three districts of the State enjoyed the distinction of being placed in the front runner of the SDGs index. A testimony to the unyielding effort of my Government, working hand in hand with the Central Government, to take Sikkim to further glory.”
In his message, the Governor highlighted some of the major initiatives and practices that have led the State to earn this recognition and also elaborated on the developmental works that are being carried out by the State government.
Prasad mentioned that health sector has been given prime importance by the State government. “Sikkim’s successful fight against the Covid-19 pandemic may be duly credited to the groundbreaking changes that were brought about in the health sector since the formation of the present government,” he said.
The Governor added that Sikkim presently has one of the best primary health care infrastructures in the country. Tremendous progress has been made in the up gradation of promotive, preventive, curative, and rehabilitative health care for the people of Sikkim, he said.
“Sikkim is known today as one of the most progressive States in the health sector in India. There has been manifold improvement in infrastructures, capacity building, manpower placement, and delivery of comprehensive services through 148 Sub Centers, 24 PHCs, 2 CHCs, 4 District Hospitals, and one State Multi Specialty Hospital.”
Prasad shared that Sikkim also became the first State to achieve a 100% target of vaccination of 1st dose to the eligible age group persons with minimal loss of vaccines. “We also successfully completed the 2nd dose vaccination for the same and have rolled out the precautionary dose for all eligible persons. We are today, among the top-performing states for Covid vaccination,” he said.
The Governor also spoke about the steps taken by the State government toward cancer treatment within Sikkim.
“Sikkim has a high prevalence of cancer and usually, the patients were being referred for treatment at cancer hospitals located outside the State. Considering the enormous cost involved in the treatment of cancer and also the inconveniences faced by the public, my government has established the first Tertiary Cancer Care Centre in Sikkim with modern equipment on 2nd May 2020. So far, more than 300 patients have been treated in the Radiation Ward and 4,750 patients have been treated in the Chemo Ward. This centre has come as a boon to the cancer patients of Sikkim,” he said.
In his message, the Governor highlighted the proactive steps taken by the State government towards development of tourism infrastructures in the State and releasing requisite funds for those tourism projects approved which were laying at standstill due to non-allocation of resources earlier.
“Moreover, to bring in more investors in the field of tourism as well as the industrial sector, my government is also organizing the “Sikkim Global Investment Confluence and Visit Sikkim 2022” sometime in November – December 2022,” he said.
Prasad said the State government is making all efforts are being made to provide a stress-free working environment for teachers wherein they feel secure about their job and career.
“We have come up with a policy of regularization of ad-hoc teachers thereby providing them with job security. This has brought new energy and enthusiasm among the young teachers who are now expected to focus fully on the education of the students. The Sikkim Adhoc Teachers Regularisation Policy, 2021 has now been notified. Regular training, workshops, and seminars are being conducted to ensure that our teachers are well trained and able to impart the best of their knowledge to our children.”
The Governor shared that the State government has also recently launched a first-of-its-kind Chief Minister’s internship scheme wherein 100 fresh college/university graduates will be attached to various departments/PSUs. Also, the Nar Bahadur Fellowship scheme, in which eligible students who secure admission for a Masters’ degree programme in any of the top universities of the world will get financial aid of up to Rs. 50 lakh each, he said.  In another effort to ensure that our children can reach their full potential, 50 young aspirants for the UPSC are being provided scholarships under the Chief Minister’s Civil Service Coaching Scheme, he said.
“Many such initiatives have been undertaken by my government to achieve holistic development of the people and the State. And though, many of these initiatives have already brought about positive changes, there are many more that are yet to bear fruit. We must be patient and remain hopeful that these measures taken by my government will lead to a more progressive and successful Sikkim,” said the Governor.