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All these centers have trained medical and para-medical staff,
capable of rendering the basic health care services.
Although greater stress has been given to primary health care, the
curative aspect of health has not been neglected. To augment the
curative services, sophisticated equipments and specialized
services in different fields have been made available at S.T.N.M.
Hospital, Gangtok. Super-specialty in Cardiology with Intensive
Coronary Care Unit and a State Level Blood Bank & Transfusion Unit
with facilities for HIV screening has also been set up at S.T.N.M.
Hospital, Gangtok. A 500 bedded Central Referral Hospital has also
been completed in the capital in collaboration with Manipal
Foundation Group for providing advanced tertiary level curative
services. The District Hospitals are also being upgraded at a
rapid pace to provide better health care services to people
residing in remote areas of the State. The Namchi District
Hospital has already been equipped with latest sophisticated
equipments under the bilateral scheme with the French Government.
Review of the basic health indices like Crude Death Rate, Crude
Birth Rate, Infant Mortality Rate, etc. indicate a significant
improvement in the health status of the people of the State
through the years. All these health indicators are well below the
national averages, however, they need to be improved further to
achieve the desired goals.
Efforts are also being made to deal with diseases posing as major
public health problems in the State. Tuberculosis has been one of
them. The State, besides the grants provided by GOI, has been
providing substantial financial assistance and other inputs to
detect as many T.B. cases as possible and treat them with the
latest regime of drugs. A new WHO strategy called ‘Directly
Observed Treatment (DOT) Course’ has been initiated in the State
with the objective of achieving cure rate of more than 85%. The
department has also been successful in bringing down the number of
cases of Iodine Deficiency Disorders/Goitre to a substantial low
level in the State. The prevalence of Goitre as per the sample
survey conducted by ICMR in 1976 was 56%. The sale of non-iodised
salt has been banned throughout the State since 1985.
Significant achievements have also been made under various
national programs like FW & MCH Program (now known as Reproductive
& Child Health Program), National Leprosy Eradication Program,
National AIDS Control Program, National Program for Control of
Blindness, etc. The performance under FW & MCH Program has
increased tremendously since the time which is less than 1 case
per 10,000 population. The recorded prevalence rate of Leprosy as
of March, 2001 is 0.91 per 10;000 population.
To combat the spread of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), an
‘Aids Cell’ was established in the State in 1992. Since then, a
significant progress has been made in bringing about mass
awareness among the people. So far, 13 HIV positive and 2 AIDS
cases have been detected in the State. Besides these, State has
been organizing special eye and plastic surgery camps in
collaboration with foreign agencies on regular basis. A special
camp for physically handicapped was also organized in the State in
1996 and a total of 336 handicapped persons were provided with
various types of aids.
The State Government is also able to provide free medicines and
diet in all the hospitals and PHCs including other health related
facilities. Treatment for ailments for which facilities do not
exist in the State are being referred outside and the required
financial assistance are being provided by the State Government. A
State Illness Assistance Fund has also been created with ,the
funding on sharing basis between the State Government and Govt. of
India in the ratio of 75:25 for persons Below the Poverty Line (BPL)
to make them avail the best referral services in institutions
outside the State. The State Government has also brought out a
Notification in June, 1996 waiving all charges on investigations
and ICCU admissions to senior bona fide citizens (above 65 years).
A number of health related Acts and Notifications have been
enforced or brought out in the State. Some of the important Acts
brought out or enforced are “The Sikkim State Prohibition of
Smoking & Non-Smokers Health Protection Act, 1997”, “Pre-Natal
Diagnostic Techniques (Regulation and Prevention of Misuse) Act,
1994", Bio-Medical Waste (Management & Handling) Rules, 1998, etc.
The State Government has also established health cadres for the
benefit of doctors, nursing and para-medical staff. A ‘State
Commission on Population’ has also been constituted to implement
the National Population Policy, 2000 in the State effectively.
The future programs of the department are also encouraging, both
from the point of preventive and curative aspects. The department
hopes to achieve ‘Health for All’ by 2015. The State Government
has also recently approved the proposal of upgrading and
modernizing the S.T.N.M. Hospital of the capital. In view of the
increasing number of accident cases in the State, a ‘Trauma
Centre’ is also being established at S.T.N.M. Hospital Gangtok
with the financial assistance from the government of India. A
De-Addiction-cum- Treatment Centre for drug addicts and alcoholics
has also been established at S.T.N.M. Hospital and two more such
centers are being constructed at Namchi and Gylashing.
To further strengthen and consolidate the health system and
infrastructure, extra financial assistance is being sought from
European Commission under European Commission Health & Family
Welfare Sector Program in India. The Australian Agency for
International Development (Aus AID) has also agreed to provide
financial assistance for capacity building (training) in
Bio-Medical Waste Management under India-Australia Training &
Capacity Building Project and other science activities by the
students
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