Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Pema Khandu on Wednesday chaired a meeting at his secretariat office in Itanagar to review the upgradation and strengthening of district hospitals (DH) across the state.

The meeting co-chaired by advisor to health and family welfare minister Goruk Pordung and chief secretary Naresh Kumar took stock of the status of various district hospital projects being funded through RIDF, NEC, NLCPR, SIDF and the NHM.

Khandu, during the meeting, took serious note of the delay in the implementation of works in spite of the availability of funds for the project works.

Timeline of March 2023 was fixed for the execution and completion of the construction works of Ziro, Aalo, Tezu, Khonsa, Roing, Basar, Boleng, Changlang, Namsai, Tato, Pakke Kessang, Raga, Bomdila and Longding district hospital including the Community Health Centers of Mechuka and Seijosa and residential quarters for the medical staffs at Palin district hospital.

Following the review, the house decided to fix the accountability to any official for the delay in this regard.

It was further informed that installation of equipment for the Tawang, Bomdila, Ziro, Aalo, Tezu, Namsai, Changlang, Tirap, Seppa and Yingkiong district hospitals would be done by February 20.

It was also decided to strengthen the Namsai and Tawang district hospitals with CT scans by March 2021.

A total of 10 de-addiction centers would be made functional by March 2021 with the same being outsourced to experienced NGOs in the field.

Chief minister Khandu on the day also took stock of the progress of Smart City Project in the state.

The Arunachal Pradesh CM said special emphasis must be given on sanitation and solid waste management.

For transparency and improving efficiency across the administrative structure, the CM called for relying more on IT and Electronics, which would help in improving quality of services to the citizens.

The meeting was also attended by urban development minister Kamlung Mossang and Lok Sabha MP Tapir Gao.

Damien Lepcha is Northeast Now Correspondent in Arunachal Pradesh. He can be reached at: [email protected]