Lalduhoma announces Rs 700-crore cancer hospital for Mizoram

Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma on March 23 announced that a Rs 700-crore cancer super-speciality hospital is being developed on the northeastern outskirts of Aizawl to strengthen the State’s healthcare infrastructure.

Launching the campaign of the Zoram People's Movement (ZPM) for the elections to the 19-member Aizawl Municipal Corporation (AMC), the Chief Minister said the hospital is coming up at Zemabawk with financial assistance from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

“Once completed, this hospital will be a lifeline for the people of Mizoram. It will reduce the need to travel outside the State for expensive cancer treatment,” he said.

Highlighting the government’s initiatives in the past two years, Lalduhoma said efforts are underway to upgrade healthcare facilities across the State. He said the Aizawl Civil Hospital is being upgraded and a trauma centre has already been made operational.

Plans are also being prepared to introduce facilities for cardiac surgery, kidney transplants and in-vitro fertilisation (IVF), he added.

The Chief Minister said the Zoram Medical College and Hospital (ZMCH) has been strengthened, while the Regional Institute of Paramedical and Nursing Sciences (RIPANS) at Zemabawk is being expanded into a 100-bed facility, which is expected to be inaugurated soon.

He further said a 50-bed hospital is under construction at Kulikawn in Aizawl at a cost of Rs 34.75 crore, while Rs 19.72 crore has been earmarked for a 100-bed psychiatry hospital nearby.

Apart from healthcare, Lalduhoma spoke about measures to improve drinking water supply and power infrastructure in the State capital.

He said the government plans to construct a 1.2 million-litre reservoir at a site vacated by the Assam Rifles at a cost of Rs 4 crore to augment water supply. Aizawl currently has around 86,200 water consumer households, with 200–250 new connections being added every month, he noted.

According to him, Rs 63 crore has been allocated for the Alternative Gravity Water Supply Scheme and Rs 3.5 crore for a water treatment plant. Work on the Aizawl Northern Pipeline project is also underway, including automated systems to prevent water tank overflows.

Additionally, Rs 6.88 crore has been earmarked to strengthen the water distribution network in western Aizawl.

On the power sector, the Chief Minister said a power sub-station is planned at Lammual at a cost of Rs 22.36 crore, and Rs 11.10 crore has been allocated for replacing electricity poles to improve supply reliability.

Polling for the 19-member AMC is scheduled for April 21, with counting of votes on April 27