TAWANG, 20 Jun: Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Tuesday launched the ‘Chief Minister Health Emergency Life Protection Service (CM HELPS)’ at Khando Drowa Sangmo District Hospital here, giving a fresh boost to health services in the state.
The CM HELPS centre is second after the TRIHMS that will cater to people residing in remote, tough terrains. “The customised, affordable, accessible and quality emergency care would be a great help to patients in providing ease of medical service,” Khandu said.
“Arunachal Pradesh is a state having remote and dispersed habitations with rugged and tough terrains. Health emergencies often strike when patients and their families are mentally, physically, and financially vulnerable and not adequately prepared to cope with the situation,” he said.
He added: “There is a need for affordable, accessible, contextual and quality emergency care, and a need to establish a robust integrated emergency care service system. CM HELPS is an effort in that direction.”
The CM said that the state government is “upgrading and transforming” the casualty rooms/emergency units of the East Kameng district hospital in Seppa, the district hospital here, the West Siang general hospital in Aalo, the Kurung Kumey district hospital in Koloriang, and the Longding district hospital Longding “to modern emergency care centres, and they will be launched before June end.”
He said that, “for the first time in the health department, a written standard operating procedure has been framed for emergency units of the district hospitals.”
An emergency area is a place where situations are dynamic and accordingly actions need to be taken in real time which is often fast-paced. Standard operating procedures provide a pre-formed framework over which such actions can be taken. It facilitates better work coordination and implementation.
Khandu said that the state-of-the-art emergency and trauma centre at the TRIHMS is ready and functional. “It has a dedicated CT scan, modular OT and diagnostic services exclusively for emergency patients. All beds in this emergency block are critical care services ready,” the CM said.
Khandu said also that the health department has provisioned 26 patient transport vehicles, 26 mobile medical vehicles and 26 oxygen-cum-vaccine carrier (one for each district), and that 27 PM CARES PSA plants have been installed.
He said that medical oxygen pipelines have been installed in all the district hospitals, and that oxygen concentrators and oxygen cylinders have been made available in all districts.
Stating that there are more than 1,500 oxygen beds, the CM said that “training in oxygen therapy, oxygen devices, operation of PSA plant, etc, have been done for all district hospitals.”
“For refilling oxygen cylinders, currently our state is dependent on neighbouring Assam. The health department is under process of setting up a state-of-the-art Aatmanirbhar oxygen grid,” he added.
“To further increase critical care capabilities, 56 ICU beds, 33 paediatric ICU beds, 40 paediatric high-dependency unit beds are being added. Similarly, 90 nursing officers for critical and emergency care will be recruited soon,” he said.
The CM announced that a “cardiac cath lab” will soon be launched at the TRIHMS, “which will increase the capability of the TRIHMS to handle cardiac emergencies.
“The setting up of the National Emergency Life Support Skill Centre for imparting training on emergency care is under process at the TRIHMS,” he added.
The chief minister further announced that a 50-bedded critical care hospital has been approved for Pasighat. “High-capacity diesel generator sets have been installed in 23 district hospitals. Further, emergency solar power backup has been established at 23 health facilities,” he informed.
The CM further said that “operation and maintenance of critical care services requires huge resource and adequate number of skilled human resources.
“Our government has embarked upon a journey of providing critical care services. The present effort, though it may be found less than ideal, will serve as a stepping stone in the road to affordable, accessible and quality emergency and critical care,” he added.
MLAs Tsering Lhamu and Tsering Tashi, DC KN Damo and SP B Kamduk were present on the occasion. (CM’s PR Cell)
