Kohima : Nagaland has signed a MoU with Medicines Sans Frontieres (MSF) here for providing secondary healthcare with support of the district hospital. The deal was inked on July 21.

Nagaland chief minister Neiphiu Rio has thanked the MSF for choosing a remote area like Mon for launching the project. He added that it will serve as a model for other districts and hoped that the authorities concerned would learn through training with MSF and serve as a benchmark for others to follow.

The chief minister stressed on quality control and urged the MSF team members to create awareness among the people so that they will be equipped to handle the task well in future. Rio also extended all possible help from the government's side wherever possible.

The MSF will provide human resources with expertise in different areas besides supplying medicines to complement what is already in place. After reaching the level of operationalization at the hospital, other activities in rural areas, including vaccination, may also become part of the project.

The MSF team had been in Mon since February 2010 where they have been introducing the organization to authorities, hospital staff and different community groups. They also carried out a situational analysis of the current situation in the district hospital (base point to start the project) and also identified their priorities. They also did an assessment of waste management situation and drafted a plan of action, including discussions, brainstorming and planning for the management of hospital (internal regulations, job profile).

A quick assessment by the MSF team was done in March 2009 for staring the pilot project in Mon. After discussions in Kohima in December, 2009, the project was approved by the MSF headquarters.