Dimapur: Nagaland Governor Nand Kishore Yadav flagged off four basic life support (BLS) ambulances at the Investment & Development Authority of Nagaland (IDAN) office premises on Friday to improve emergency healthcare services in the state.
Yadav also virtually inaugurated an apple cider vinegar (ACV) processing unit in Thanamir village in Kiphire district to promote agricultural value addition and create livelihood opportunities, particularly in remote areas.
The ambulances were provided by IDAN with support from Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL).
Addressing the programme, Yadav said both initiatives were intended to improve people’s quality of life and promote inclusive development in Nagaland.
He said the ambulances would improve access to emergency healthcare, while the processing unit would create opportunities for entrepreneurship, agricultural value addition and livelihood generation.
Thanking IOCL for its support, Yadav said Nagaland’s mountainous terrain, scattered settlements and long distances between villages and healthcare facilities often made timely medical care difficult, especially during emergencies.
He said the BLS ambulances would strengthen emergency response and help transport patients safely and promptly from remote areas and peripheral health facilities to higher medical centres.
Yadav said Nagaland had considerable agricultural and horticultural potential, but processing, packaging, branding and market development could help generate greater economic value than selling raw produce alone.
Describing the ACV processing unit as an example of locally driven, market-oriented development, he said farmers should have opportunities to participate in the wider value chain.
This would allow them to earn from processing and marketing apple-based products in addition to selling fresh apples.