Pheiroijam Parijat Singh at the Statehood Day function in Imphal. Picture by N. Bishwajit.

Imphal, Jan. 21: Manipur health minister Pheiroijam Parijat Singh today announced a slew of measures to improve healthcare in the state.

“The Centre has given us enough funds to revamp the health sector and the government has started implementing the projects,” Parijat Singh said while addressing a function to mark the 37th Statehood Day of Manipur.

The community health centres across the state would be upgraded to 50-bedded ones. The district hospitals will be upgraded from 50 bedded to 100-bedded hospitals.

The health minister said the Centre gave funds to construct infrastructure and appoint medical staff to improve healthcare. Stating that once the schemes were implemented healthcare services in the state would improve considerably in both the rural and urban areas, he appealed to all sections of society to cooperate with the government agencies.

“Though the government has taken up various development schemes, these could not be completed on time because of poor law and order. As a result, people have been deprived of the benefits of the projects,” he said.

Lauding the Centre for taking over of the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences, Parijat Singh said there should not be any interference in the smooth functioning of the hospital and its development.

Chief minister in-charge Th. Devendra Singh, who also addressed the function, called on the people to extend full co-operation to development activities.

The ministers’ appeal for co-operation came after the state government could not decide on a site for the construction of a National Institute of Technology mainly because of opposition from residents.