Sikkim: Chief Minister P.S. Golay has said the State government is concentrating on both preventive and curative aspects of cancer treatment and assured the people of Sikkim that, in course of time, they will have a cancer treatment centre in their home State.
In his Budget speech on Tuesday at the Assembly, the Chief Minister shared that there has been a steady increase in the occurrence of cancer in Northeast region and mountainous areas of India.
According to the leading anatomical sites of cancer, it was found that Sikkimese male suffer mostly from stomach, oesophagus and lung cancer and females suffer from breast, cervix, uteri and stomach cancer, he mentioned.
“We would like to, therefore, concentrate on both preventive and curative aspects of cancer management. We have set up Tertiary Cancer Care Centre and also VRDL at STNM Hospital, Cardiac Care Sub Centre at Jorethang CHC.
For more universal intervention, we are collaborating with the GC Group of Company & its consortium partners to build a Rs. 2000 crore cancer hospital at Karfectar in South Sikkim.
We have already earmarked 50 acres of land and the foundation will be laid soon.”
I assure the people of Sikkim that your dream to have a cancer treatment centre in home State will be fulfilled in course of time, said the Chief Minister.
He informed the Assembly that the State government is also establishing a 50-bedded critical care block at Gyalshing District Hospital with required medical equipment at a cost of Rs. 23.75 crore in this fiscal year.
The Chief Minister mentioned that the State government is “seriously negotiating” with the Union government on various transforming infrastructure projects.
These projects if approved and operationalized would transform the entire range of physical infrastructures in Sikkim and its connectivity with key points of India and the neighbouring countries, he said.
“Other projects that are likely to take shape in the very near future are the alternative highway to Sikkim running on the Sikkimese side from Teesta-Rangeet confluence onwards and Chiwabhanjyang road corridor to Nepal through Uttaray side of West Sikkim.
These 3170m high pass makes soft dent into the famous Singalila Range adjoining Darjeeling and makes for smooth entry into Nepal.”
Golay added that the Chiwabhanjyang corridor could in fact be considered as the first Sikkim-Nepal Economic, Trade and Tourism Corridor (SNETTC) that will have an integrated checkpost and other modern facilities.
The Motor Vehicle Agreement of 2015 among Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal for a seamless entry and exit of vehicle from these four countries in each other’s territory could be another major connectivity point for Sikkim, he said.
On agriculture front, the Chief Minister mentioned that the State government, as a major intervention, is identifying products which can be a game changer in the rural areas and are accordingly providing incentives to the farmers.
He informed, as an example, that milk supply in the State has gone up to 56,000 litres per day due to the incentive of Rs. 8 per litre of milk (with particular SNF standard) and a minimum procurement price of Rs. 40 per litre of milk.
“Over 15,000 dairy farmers have benefitted so far from this subsidy of over Rs. 26 crore in the last two fiscal years and will be soon in a position to export our milk and milk products to other States.
We are also planning to design and set up supplies of milk through bulk vending machines similar to Mother Dairy in Delhi,” said the Chief Minister in his Budget speech.
Golay added that the State government is planning to make three ‘A’s (Aduwa, Alaichi and Amlisho) as the three commercial crops that would make farming more attractive through interventions in production, processing and marketing.
“For instance, there are studies to show that whatever cardamom fetches as the final price in the market only 20-30 per cent reach the producer farmer in Sikkim.
Rest 70 to 80 per cent is pocketed by the traders and other agencies who add value to raw cardamom by using them in pharmaceutical products, spices, hard and soft beverages and others.”
“Therefore, our government will now do the processing and value addition in Sikkim so that our farmers get the maximum benefit of the market price. The IFFCO-Sikkim Government food processing factory is fast coming up in Rangpo.
This will be the first such large-scale processing venture in this regard,” said the Chief Minister.
SIKKIM HEALTH UPGRADE
JORETHANG: State government is collaborating with GC Group of Company & its consortium partners to build a Rs. 2000 crore Cancer Hospital at Karfectar, South Sikkim. State has already earmarked 50 acres of land and foundation will be laid soon.
NAMCHI: A 300-bedded hospital at the sanctioned cost of Rs. 561.26 crore. Construction started in September 2021.
SINGTAM: A 300-bedded district hospital at the sanctioned cost of Rs. 552.19 crore.
SORENG: A 100-bedded district hospital at an estimated cost of Rs. 236.11 crore.
GYALSHING: A 50-bedded critical care block at Gyalshing district hospital with required medical equipment at a cost of Rs. 23.76 crore to be established this fiscal year.
