Kohima: Nagaland Health and Family Welfare Minister P. Paiwang Konyak on Tuesday called for a collective and coordinated effort to support the state’s proposed one-year ban on tobacco products, describing it as a crucial step towards protecting public health and safeguarding the younger generation.
The minister made the appeal during a high-level review meeting of the Department of Health and Family Welfare held in Kohima on June 9. The meeting was attended by Health and Family Welfare Secretary S. Tainiu Khiam and senior departmental officials.
The appeal comes in the wake of the state government’s decision to impose a one-year ban on the manufacture, storage, transportation, distribution and sale of all food products containing tobacco or nicotine as ingredients. The move was undertaken in line with public health concerns and directives issued by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
During the meeting, Paiwang urged civil society organisations, churches and community leaders to extend their wholehearted support to the initiative. He said the proposed ban would significantly improve public health outcomes and help protect youth from the harmful effects of tobacco consumption.
The minister also called on all stakeholders to work closely with district administrations and law enforcement agencies to ensure effective implementation and enforcement of the ban.
Reviewing the department’s performance and ongoing programmes, including preparedness for a possible Ebola outbreak, the 100-Day Mission under the National Quality Assurance Standards (NQAS), and the TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan campaign, Paiwang directed officials to strengthen outreach at the district level, improve service delivery, and ensure government healthcare initiatives reach grassroots communities.
On Ebola preparedness, State Nodal Officer for the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP), Dr Nyan Kikon, informed the meeting that no Ebola case has been detected in Nagaland so far. However, the department has been directed to maintain heightened surveillance, strengthen preparedness at all levels, and ensure prompt response mechanisms are in place as a precautionary measure.
The meeting also deliberated on several health-sector issues and reaffirmed the department’s commitment to improving healthcare services across the state through enhanced coordination, community participation and district-level engagement.
Officials reviewed the progress of key healthcare infrastructure projects, including Mon Medical College, the Nagaland Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (NIMSR), Kohima, projects under PM-DevINE, and externally aided projects under the National Health Programme (NHP) III.
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The meeting further discussed upcoming initiatives such as the establishment of trauma centres in district hospitals, the upgradation of the State Mental Health Institute into a Centre of Excellence, the setting up of a State Cancer Institute and a State Allied Health Institute, the expansion of NIMSR, and the proposed establishment of a new AIIMS in Nagaland.
A team of consultants from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) also briefed the meeting on developments related to NIMSR.
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