NE to develop healthcare facilties to retain patients within region

Kolkata, Aug 31 (UNI) The Northeastern state governments, in recognition of the growing need for better infrastructure in medical treatment and healthcare facilities, are taking steps towards organising their resources for the cause.

Addressing a seminar organised by CII Confederation of Indian Industry on '' Healthcare North East: Towards a Global Healthcare Hub'' here yesterday, Guwahati Neurological Research Centre's(GNRC) Chairman and Managing Director Dr N C Borah said, ''We realise that the poor infrastructure in our healthcare sector is driving people from the region towards South India or even to Delhi.'' Dr Borah, the CEO of the GNRC has, through his vision of organising efforts and resources of all the northeast states, built a giant chain of medical treatment and healthcare centres in all its six sister northeast states.

'' We want to retain the people of the Northeast within the region and also encourage those coming from the South East Asian countries of Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Thailand and Singapore to trust the healthcare facilities and doctors here,'' he reiterated.

Citing the glaring problems facing the healthcare sector in the Northeast, representative from Assam, Dr J B Ekka, National Rural Health Mission Director and Additional Secretary of the Depatrment of Health and Family Welfare of the Assam Government said, ''We need to identify the core issues and their causes, so that we can deal with them efficiently.

''High infant mortality, poor postnatal care, low immunisation coverage, cases of unsuccessful delivery rates, delay in life saving and medical treatment facilties are among the very few issues that need to be firmly dealt with,'' Dr Ekka said, while adding that boat clinics and hospitals should be introduced in certain riverine sections of the states.

''Doctors in the region are also discouraged by low remuneration and poor medical infrastructure,'' Mr Ekka added.

A few centrally-sponsored vertical projects have been introduced in the North East, which are presently being coordinated by the state governments to establish good healthcare facility in the region.

Many NGOs have also been invited by the state governments to assist the development process of medical treatment in the region.

UNI