From now on, critically ill civilians in landlocked Arunachal Pradesh can board the chopper of Chief Minister Kalikho Pul to either reach Itanagar or Guwahati for better treatment.
Pul, who became the Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh in February this year, made the announcements recently and asked the officials to make a list of critically ill civilian patients in different parts of the State, who need to be evacuated either to Itanagar or to Guwahati for better treatment.
The move assumes significance considering the bad road connectivity in the hill State, which is known for its treacherous terrains. Sometimes it takes two to three days to go from one place to another in certain areas. Soon after taking over as the Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister, the State Government has hired a chopper for official visits of the Chief Minister to different remote areas.
“last week the Chief Minister had evacuated three critically ill patients from different parts of the State to Itanagar and Guwahati from where they have flown to other parts of India for better treatment,” said a senior official in the Chief Ministers’ Office in Itanagar.
The three patients include 14-year-old lammuarang Simte, who has been battling for his life with a rare and acute chronic liver disease. Doctors at the Tomo Riba State Hospital at Itanagar had asked his family to take him to New Delhi since he needed super specialist treatment if he has to be kept alive.
“He was referred to the Institute of liver and Biliary Science (IlBS) in New Delhi, which has one of the best liver treatment facilities in the country. But his family did not have enough money to take him to New Delhi. However, during a surprise visit to the hospital, the Chief Minister came to know about Simte and decided that he be flown to New Delhi for further treatment,” the
official said.
He said that the Chief Minister had also donated his two months’ salary for Simte’s treatment at IlBS.
“Apart from Simte, 2 other patients, Minyum Potom and Giabu Poda have also been transported in the Chief Minister’s chopper to Guwahati this week. We are finding more such patients across the State, who can be airlifted when the Chief Minister travel to those areas on Government events in coming days,” he said.