Air dispensary set to take off in Northeast

Two helicopters to be based in Imphal and Shillong

The air dispensary service in the North East, which is the “brain child” of the Manipur Governor Najma Heptula, will be commissioned soon in Manipur and Meghalaya.

Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh announced it in the Manipur Assembly on Monday.

Governor Ms. Heptulla said that she first came to know of the air dispensary in Australia during a visit there. Doctors and paramedics rush in helicopters to hard to access villages to attend to the patients.

She said, “I personally approached Prime Minister Narendra Modi to introduce the air dispensary service.”

No medical care

People in the far-flung villages, both in the valley and hills do not get timely medical attention. There had been reports on how the tribal villagers bring their sick family members including women in labour in hand-made beds. Some of the women had to give birth at the roadside in the hills.

Mr. Singh disclosed that one helicopter shall be stationed in Imphal and the other in Shillong, the capital of Meghalaya. These two helicopters will attend to the sick in far flung villages in the North East.