Sikkim Govt to invest 3373.31 crore in Health sector

GANGTOK: Sikkim Chief Minister P.S Golay on Monday stated that Rs. 3373.31 crores is being invested in Sikkim's healthcare sector, with government funding going to the four improved district hospitals and a public-private partnership going to be the Karfectar cancer facility. Around 80 local doctors will be passed out from Sikkim Manipal Institute of Medical Sciences (SMIMS).

The ambitious goal of Chief Minister P.S. Golay to provide complete in-situ healthcare to the people of Sikkim has swung into action on two fronts of infrastructure and manpower — the construction of new hospitals and the training of more healthcare experts.

Signing a Memorandum of Understanding with Sikkim Manipal University has started the process of producing enough local doctors for the future prospective healthcare institutions (SMU). This agreement, which was approved by the Centre, provides an additional 50 free MBBS seats for Sikkimese students, in addition to the 30 seats that were available last year. Seventy more seats are held by SMU, bringing the total number of MBBS seats in one batch to 150.

“After five years, 80 doctors of Sikkim will be passing out in a single batch annually. At the same time, we are upgrading our health infrastructure and need manpower.  We must create an avenue for these doctors as they would want to work in their home State. With this aim, we laid the foundation stone of a 300-bedded district hospital in Namchi despite the Covid pandemic. Works are going on a war-footing there. As more and more local doctors would be coming out of SMU annually, we need more hospitals and so we are also constructing a 300-bedded district hospital in Singtam for which the foundation stone would be laid soon. We are also developing a 100-bedded hospital in Soreng and a cancer hospital in Karfectar near Jorethang where we also need more manpower,” said the Chief Minister.