Chief Minister N Biren Singh on December 3 inaugurated State TB Hospital constructed at an estimated cost of Rs. 8.74 crore by Manipur Police Housing Corporation (MPHC) at Keirao Wangkhem in Imphal East District.

Mr Biren stressed on the need to change the pattern of imparting awareness on the prevention and treatment of the disease. Stating that the only way to control TB is to create effective mass awareness, the chief minister said that controlling the disease is the collective responsibility of each and every member of the society.

Local clubs in valley districts and Churches in hill districts may extend great help to the Government in spreading awareness about the disease to public, he opined. Regarding developmental initiatives taken up by the new Government, the Chief Minister said that the main deterrence to effective execution of developmental works is the practice of distributing work programmes among Ministers and MLAs.

In the past, MLAs and Ministers used to claim any available work programme no matter the work is suitable for  effective execution at their area or not, he said. The chief minister said that doubling farmers’ income would not be a hard task if the Government can precisely identify the potential areas.

Observing that every Government should be able to understand and address to the basic necessities of its people, Mr Biren said the current Government has a strong commitment to rehabilitate poor and helpless people. After  introducing different schemes and taking up different measures, poor people are now able to get treatment as well-to-do persons free of cost same, send their children to schools, get rice in highly subsidised rates and construct houses under Government’s Housing Scheme.

Moreover, efforts are being put in to provide safe drinking water to every household of Manipur to make Prime  Minister Narendra Modi’s vision a reality by 2022. Stating that the Government is ever ready to provide any type of assistance to hard working self employees and skilled persons, he urged the public to extend co-operation to the Government in making Manipur self sufficient in fish, food and vegetable productions.

Mr Biren also urged them not to extend support and co-operation to any type of bandhs/blockades because it largely affects the State economy. Health and Family Welfare Minister L. Jayantakumar who attended the function as the
functional president said that TB is one of the greatest health challenges being faced by the country.

Stating that this challenge has become further complicated with the emergence of Multi-Drug Resistance (MDR) TB and prevalence of HIV-TB co-infection. Informing that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has a vision to eradicate TB by 2025, Mr Jayantakumar said there need for strong support from the public to achieve the objective.

Construction of the State TB Hospital began from 2010 after the project was approved by the Central Government approved sanctioning of Rs. 5 crore under Special Plan Assistance (SPA) during 2008-2009 financial year while the State share of the project was Rs. 3.74 crore.

The State TB Hospital was earlier located in Chingmeirong and it was shifted to the current location in 2015. The hospital currently has 62 staff including seven doctors and a Superintendent.