EMN
Dimapur, February 17
One of the oldest health institutions in Nagaland, the Impur Christian Hospital, established by the Council of Baptist Churches North East India (CBCNEI) in 1912 was formally handed over to the Ao Baptist Arogo Mungdang at a function on February 17 in Impur.
A ceremonial handover of the hospital after 103 years has come following a memorandum of understanding between the council and the ABAM.Signing the memorandum, CBCNEI’s general Secretary, Rev. Dr. Solomon Rongpi described the handing over as ‘historic’ and a ‘new venture’ between the two church organizations. Impur Christian Hospital would be better maintained and managed by the ABAM and make it more beneficial to the people in the region, he said.
ABAM’s leaders have said it was a moment of ‘great joy’ for the Ao church council to formally take charge of Impur Christian Hospital ‘with a responsibility to continue its mission for the glory of God.’
According to memorandum, the ABAM will be managing the hospital for 30 years after which the memorandum would be renewed, or if the ABAM does not wish to renew it, the health center would be taken over again by the CBCNEI. A clause in the memorandum also said the ABAM has to contribute 1% of the total service income annually to the CBCNEI as the land and the immovable properties belong to the CBCNEI.
Delivering his exhortation at the function, NBCC’s general secretary, Rev. Dr Anjo Kiekung said that a ‘tangible change’ had come to Impur and expressed hoped that the hospitak would bring a ‘sea of change in rendering service to the people.’ He also stressed on the need to appoint ‘God-anointed doctors’ for the hospital. Recalling the immeasurable service rendered by the hospital in the past hundred years, Rev, Anjo recalled his treatment in the hospital for a week in 1967.
Retired principal director Dr. Sashi Aier highlighted the ambitious plan of action to be undertaken for the hospital to make it one of the best health care institutions in the region.
Chief Medical Officer of Mokokchung Dr. SS Aka also spoke during the function. He said efforts will be undertaken to set up departments for gynecology, general surgery, and pediatrics besides better equipments and laboratories.
In recognition of the importance of the hospital and the service rendered by it in the past one hundred years, the North East Council has taken up a project costing about 4.86 crore, in 2012. The North East Council has so far released 1.75 crore for the first phase of development work.
The developmental council’s secretary, A Luikham, visited the ongoing project on February 14 to acquaint with the progress of the work.
