ZIRO, 24 Aug: Lower Subansiri's top administration and public health teams gathered at the district secretariat here on Monday for a review meeting of the District Health Society (DHS) and the District Task Force for Immunisation (DTFI).
The meeting focused on celebrating major health milestones, facing operational realities, and mapping out practical solutions for local healthcare, bringing together key district leaders, including Deputy Commissioner Oli Perme, SP Keni Bagra, DMO Dr Millo Kunya, and ICDS Deputy Director Kago Maya.
The meeting was moderated by DRCHO Dr S Rigia.
NVBDCP District Programme Officer Dr Kuru Tama announced that Lower Subansiri has maintained zero malaria cases since 2020. The forum warmly acknowledged the frontline health and wellness officers and medical staffers whose steady efforts have kept the district malaria-free.
The district also celebrated a notable milestone as the Siiro facility has won the prestigious National Quality Assurance Standards (NQAS) award. Detailed programme presentations were delivered across sectors: DSO-cum-NCD DPO Dr Subu Habung reviewed the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) and non-communicable diseases; DTO Dr Kime Horming presented the progress under the National TB Elimination Programme (NTEP); and Blood Centre MO Dr Hage Yubey detailed developments regarding the blood centre, alongside AYUSH initiatives.
Turning to local public health concerns, officials discussed ongoing efforts to control a spike in HIV cases driven by shared syringes and unsafe sex. Patients no longer need to travel far for care, as free anti-retroviral treatment is now fully operational at Ziro's local ART Centre. The participants also reviewed climate-related health risks and an HPV awareness drive targeting girls aged 14-15, supported by NGO partners like the Voluntary Health Association of India (VHAI), and focused on male engagement and 'Buddy Mothers'.
DMO Dr Kunya outlined urgent infrastructural and resource gaps. Key priorities include renovating a defunct local school compound to house the old Ziro hospital's administrative block, setting up a full-fledged data centre, securing night-shift guards at hospitals, and installing dedicated parking barricades for ambulances (currently funded by the DMO personally).
Dr Kunya also highlighted the pressing need to recruit specialist doctors and address budget constraints under the National Health Mission (NHM).
Closing the session, Deputy Commissioner Perme praised the healthcare team's dedication, while issuing clear operational directives: strict monitoring of dog bite incidents, and maintaining an uninterrupted stock of anti-rabies vaccines (ARV).
Reinforcing the spirit of teamwork, ICDS Deputy Director Maya called for seamless cross-departmental collaboration, mandating that monthly health and nutrition data on women and children be shared routinely across departments to ensure that no community is left behind. (DIPRO)
