Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Gangtok: Sonam Gyatso Sherpa, General Secretary of the Denzong Sherpa Association, recently met with Indian Ambassador to Vietnam, Tshering W. Sherpa, in Hanoi to discuss the ambitious Punara Janma Viksit Sikkim 2031 roadmap. The session focused on the vision of a healthier, digitally empowered state, exploring potential collaborations between Sikkim and Vietnam in sectors such as agriculture, tourism, and healthcare. During the meeting, the Ambassador expressed his commitment to the state's development, with plans to visit Sikkim this September to further deliberate on these strategic initiatives.
The proposed roadmap serves as a long-term policy framework designed to align Sikkim with the national Viksit Bharat vision while overcoming challenges inherent to its mountainous terrain and remote populations. A cornerstone of the proposal is reaching near-universal health coverage. This goal is expected to be achieved by expanding enrolment in the Ayushman Bharat scheme, providing enhanced protection for senior citizens, and significantly reducing out-of-pocket medical expenses through integrated insurance systems. Furthermore, the plan recommends a widespread expansion of PM Jan Aushadhi centres to ensure that high-quality generic medicines are affordable and accessible across all regions.
To modernise delivery, the roadmap suggests transforming existing sub-centres into digitally connected High-Altitude Health Posts. These facilities will offer essential diagnostic services, maternal care, and screening for non-communicable diseases like diabetes and hypertension. To bridge the gap for distant residents, the proposal introduces Tele-Sanjeevani Sikkim, a dedicated telemedicine platform connecting remote clinics to super-speciality hospitals in Gangtok. This digital infrastructure aims to provide specialist consultations in cardiology, paediatrics, and gynaecology while promoting the broader use of Ayushman Bharat Health Accounts to ensure medical portability.
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