Photo Courtesy: nagalandpost
Kohima: Nagaland needs a 100-bed ESIC hospital. Moatoshi Longkumer, chairman of the ESIC Regional Board, set a clear mandate at the 2nd Regional Board meeting in Kohima. The state must hit 15,000 registered Insured Persons to trigger the project. Longkumer pressed the Labour Department and local stakeholders to boost registration numbers now.
The session took place at the Labour Commissioner’s Office. Officials debated boosting pay for doctors and paramedical staff to beef up the ESI Scheme. Longkumer insisted that the board meet every six months to track progress. "Achieving the target of 15,000 IPs would facilitate the establishment of the hospital," Longkumer stated.
Regional and state officials plotted expansion. Robert Longchari, commissioner and secretary of the Labour and Employment Department, plans to open ESIC branch offices in Tuensang, Mokokchung, and Mon. They will rent temporary space until the government secures permanent land. Meanwhile, the Nagaland Institute of Medical Sciences and Research wants an MoU with ESIC to deliver care.
Pranay Sinha, Insurance Commissioner for the North Eastern Zone, pushed for the quick formation of an ESI Society. Regional Director Champak Biswas wants the Labour Department to team up with Social Security Officers to speed up enrollment. Stakeholders like Bithungo Kikon and Khamgaipu Kamei demanded better awareness campaigns and mandatory registration directives. The meeting wrapped up with Longkumer opening a new ESIC branch office in the Kohima Labour Commissioner’s building.
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