Reported by Bhadra Gogoi
Dimapur: Nagaland Health and Family Welfare Minister P Paiwang Konyak has called for a collective and coordinated effort to support the state’s one-year ban on products containing tobacco or nicotine.
Addressing a high-level review meeting of the Health and Family Welfare Department in Kohima on Tuesday, Konyak urged civil society organisations, churches and community leaders to extend their support to the ban and help ensure its effective implementation.
The state government on June 4 imposed a one-year ban on the manufacture, storage, transportation, distribution and sale of all food products containing tobacco or nicotine as ingredients, citing public health concerns and directions issued by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).
Konyak said the measure would contribute to improving public health and protecting younger generations from the harmful effects of tobacco consumption. He also called on stakeholders to work closely with district administrations and police authorities to ensure effective enforcement of the ban.
The minister also reviewed the department’s performance and ongoing programmes, including preparedness for a potential Ebola outbreak, the 100-day mission under the National Quality Assurance Standards (NQAS), and the TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan campaign.
He directed the department to strengthen district-level outreach, improve service delivery and ensure that government healthcare initiatives reach people at the grassroots.
During the meeting, Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme state nodal officer Nyan Kikon said no Ebola case has been detected in Nagaland so far.
However, the department has been instructed to maintain heightened surveillance, strengthen preparedness at all levels and ensure prompt response mechanisms remain in place as a precautionary measure.