HEALTH SERVICES

•Health services are free in the State.

•Most of the Health indices of the State are better than the National Average.

•In comparison to the national indicators, the health indicators of Sikkim are three times better. In Sikkim the ratio of hospital bed: people is 1: 530 whereas it is 1: 1451 (2004-05) at the national level. Similarly, the ratio of patients: doctor is 2504: 1; the ratio of population: nurse is 3359:1;whereas the same ratios at the national level are 3500: 1 and 5000: 1,respectively. In the state, on an average, a doctor attends 4.72 beds and nurses 6.33 beds.

•The state spends RS.296/- per person in health. According to 2002-03 statistics this figure ranks second in the nation.

•24 Primary Health Centres and 147 PHSCs have been set up in the state.

• Sikkim has succeeded in controlling TB..

• More than 90% o~ children are vaccinated against life threatening diseases.

• STNM Hospital, Gangtok & District Hospital Namchi, South Sikkim are equipped with modern equipments. The STNM Hospital has been upgraded and equipped with ultra modern diagnostic equipments and is being connected with ALLMS, Delhi through Tele-medicine facility.

• Sikkim is the first State, which has succeeded in vaccinating all the children below the age of one with Hepatitis B vaccines. Under this programme more than 30,000 children have been inoculated. From Sept. 2004 children aged 1 to 5 are being vaccinated free of cost with Hepatitis-B vaccine. Till now more than 10,000 children have been vaccinated.

PHC's in Villages

• A Central Referral Hospital is established in Gangtok.

• Under "Universal Health Insurance Scheme" all families under BPL category are being provided with Health Insurance.

• Plan expenditure in Health sector has considerably increased from Rs 0.81 crores during the 4th Five Year Plan to Rs 80 crores in the Tenth Five Year Plan.

• Polio has almost been eradicated in the state.

• General public suffering from diseases for which treatment within the state is not available are sent outside the State for better medical treatment at Government expenses.

• To improve the health of the people, the Government is implementing its "Cleanliness Drive" programme throughout the state. By 2009 the Government plans to make Sikkim a fully sanitized state.

• All out efforts are made to make the state free from AIDS.

• A number of plastic surgery camps were held under the aegis of "Interplast, Germany" from which 600 Sikkimese people have benefited.                        Health Minister Shri Hissey Lachungpa Inspecting the Hospital      
                                                                              
• Smoking is banned in all public places. The sale of Gutka is prohibited.

• A 100 bedded Community Health Centre at Gyalshing in West District and Mangan in North District have been constructed at a cost of RS.1061 1akhs.

• A GNM training school has been established at the STNM hospital. Every year 20 students are admitted in the course.

• Considering the accidents occurring in the state "Trauma Centre" costing RS.70 lakhs has been opened in the STNM hospital. Another Trauma Centre at Singtam Hospital, East District is under construction. A sum of RS.150 lakhs has been received from Government of India on this account. Proposal for construction of Trauma Centre under NEC at Namchi Hospital is under consideration.

• A rehabilitation centre for drug addicts and liquor addicts have been opened at Nimtar, East Sikkim.

• Besides providing free treatment to the people the government believes in the dictum "Prevention is better than cure". Hence it backs those activities which affect the consciousness of the people and encourage them towards cleanliness.