Urban PHC building dedicated in Mon town

DIMAPUR — The newly constructed building of Mon town Urban Primary Health Centre (UPHC) was dedicated on Tuesday.

An update from the office of the chief medical officer (CMO), Mon, stated that the programme began with an invocation and dedicatory prayer said by Bangchem Phom, vaccinator.

Delivering the welcome address, Dr. Supongmenla Walling, CMO of Mon, informed that the UPHC, launched on January 27, 2025, has been functioning from a rented building in Zaklom ward. She has appreciated the contractor for constructing the new building in accordance with prescribed standards and also highlighted that the UPHC would function as a daycare health facility, not a 24/7 service unit.

She stated that the centre would be staffed by one dentist, one laboratory technician, one pharmacist, two staff nurses and two ANM, who would ensure the smooth delivery of primary healthcare services to the community.

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Since the UPHC currently has no general duty medical officer (GDMO), she informed that the dentist would oversee both dental and general cases including maternal and child health services.

Dr. Walling also mentioned that 20 newly appointed ASHA in Mon town along with the nursing team would track immunisation and antenatal care (ANC) coverage across all wards. She added that the UPHC staff would conduct outreach mini-camps within the wards to bring essential healthcare services closer to residents.

She further encouraged the team to actively spread awareness about the UPHC and its services.

The special guest and joint director of Health and Family Welfare, Dr. Temsu Longchar, has commended the quality of work executed by the contractor and thanked the Forest department for providing the land for construction of the new facility. He emphasised the crucial role of community participation, stating that without community ownership, the building would remain underutilised.

Dr. Longchar highlighted that 80% of diseases are preventable, 7% require surgical intervention, 7% are accident-related and 6% are genetic. He urged the newly appointed ASHA and UPHC staff to commit themselves with dedication and sincerity, noting that preventive efforts could significantly reduce disease burden and save lives.

Aotemsu Ozukum, consultant of National Urban Health Mission (NUHM), spoke on the objectives of NUHM and its implementation across the state. He provided an overview of the establishment of the Mon UPHC and the collaborative process involving the Forest department, contractor and the Health and Family Welfare department in making the project a reality.

It stated that Manlip Konyak, contractor, and Y Pongba, chairman of the All Wards Union, Mon, have appreciated the department for its support and reaffirmed the community’s willingness to cooperate with the health authorities in improving urban health services.

Delivering the vote of thanks, Dr. Wanmai Konyak, dentist at UPHC Mon, expressed gratitude to the CMO, deputy CMO, NUHM consultant, contractor, DFO and ward chairman for their guidance and collaboration throughout the project. He further appealed to the community leaders for continued partnership in promoting the health and well-being of Mon town residents.