Sikkim Government launches Jan Aushadi Kendra and health facilities in Sochakgang

The Health & Family Welfare Department, Government of Sikkim, organised the inauguration of Jan Aushadi Kendra, inpatient facilities at 10 bedded Ayush Hospital & 10 bed tele ICU at New STNM Hospital, Sochakgang, today.

The programme was graced by Mr Lakshman Prasad Acharya, Governor of Sikkim, as the Chief Guest and Mr Kunga Nima Lepcha, Minister, Health & Family Welfare Department, as the Guest of Honour.

Also present were, Mr KB Gurung, Advisor, Health & Welfare Department, Mr AB Karki SCS, Secretary, Health & Family Welfare, Mr Srikanth Nadhamuni, Founder, CTO Aadhaar & Chairman 10 Bed ICU, doctors of STNM Hospital and sponsors.

The programme started with the inauguration of Jan Aushadi Kendra by the Governor of Sikkim. 

He inaugurated the inpatient facilities of 10 bedded Ayush Hospital further interacting with the admitted patients.

Addressing the programme, the Governor highlighted the significant milestone in the healthcare sector with the inauguration of several essential facilities, including a Jan Aushadhi Kendra, a 10-bed AYUSH Hospital, and a cutting-edge 10-bed ICU equipped with teleconsultation services.

He said that these initiatives aim to enhance healthcare accessibility, reducing the burden on patients ensuring state’s commitment to a healthier future.

He commended Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his visionary leadership and lauded the growth of the AYUSH sector.

This initiative promotes holistic healing and also positions Sikkim as a promising destination for health tourism, he added.

Likewise, the Governor acknowledged the positive outcomes of collaborative efforts with organizations such as HDFC Bank.

In his address, Mr. Kunga Nima Lepcha mentioned how patients will benefit from this transformative initiative.

He stated that super specialists and doctors will now help the public receive treatment with the latest medical advancements.

He also thanked the Governor for inaugurating the schemes today. 

Earlier, in his address, Dr AB Karki thanked everyone for their presence. As part of the Project, he highlighted that five tech-enabled 10 Bed ICU wards have been set up in Government hospitals at Namchi, Singtam, Gyalshing, Mangan and Rhenock. 

One Tele ICU hub at STNM Hospital Gangtok has also been launched to enable consultations between doctors at the District Government Hospitals and specialists at STNM Hospital to improve patient outcomes in these peripheral ICUs.

During the programme, a screening of the Sikkim Launch Video was presented, featuring the 10 Bed ICU Project and highlighting its details.

Speaking at the programme, Mr. Srikanth Nadhamuni stressed the significance of the 10 Bed ICU Project, designed to establish critical care ICU infrastructure in rural and smaller government hospitals.

He delivered a presentation on the five pillars of the 10 Bed ICU, which include ICU Medical Equipment, Care Technology, Tele ICU, and Community Participation.

The 10 Bed ICU Project was conceived as a response to the second wave of COVID-19 but evolved into a system-strengthening project aimed at making critical healthcare accessible across every district, including the country's most remote regions.

The project consists of 5 components:

1. Providing and installing state-of-the-art IC medical equipment at district-level government hospitals.

2. Deploying cutting-edge digital technology like ABDM-compliant patient management software called CARE for delivering improved healthcare outcomes.

3. Deployment of the TelelCU system in a hub-d-spoke model, with Telelcu Hubs in government tertiary care hospitals connecting specialists to remote 10BedICU hospitals.

4. Basic and advanced critical care training and standardizing ICU protocols.

5. Communitization to maximize the impact and sustainability of the project.

Additionally, the project also incorporated several new initiatives around ABDM Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission) integration, Standard ICU Protocols, and Generative AI-based tools for critical care, working in Indian languages.

He further elaborated that these new initiatives will improve patient outcomes and ease the workload on healthcare professionals.

He informed that the 10 Bed ICU project in Sikkim is funded by Shri Vinod Khosla and HDFC Bank Parivartan.

Several NGOs and industry partners collaborated to implement this project, including the Government Foundation, Karuna Trust, Hamilton Medical, and Koita Centre for Digital Health.

Furthermore, Dr. Gyamtso Bhutia from STNM Hub and Dr. Ashim Basnett from Namchi District Hospital presented the Tele ICU Demonstration, elucidating innovative healthcare advantages.

Thereafter, the Governor inaugurated the 10-bed Tele ICU at District Hospitals & STNM virtually, thereby improving comprehensive healthcare access for the residents of the state.

During the programme, STNM Hospital was felicitated for its role in providing critical care training to District hospitals.

Likewise, Namchi and Gyalshing District Hospitals were recognised for admitting patients to their ICUs.

Additionally, HDFC Bank was recognised for sponsoring ICU Wards in hospitals located in Singtam and Rhenock.

The vote of thanks was proposed by Ms. Ruth Yonzon, Medical Superintendent of STNM Hospital.