Govt making outrageous claims while doing cunning repackaging of SDF: Chamling

Former Chief Minister Pawan Chamling said on Sunday that the SKM government is making "outrageous claims" about health-care triumphs while undertaking a "cunning repackaging" of the previous SDF administration's achievements.

After failing to deliver the promised 'Parivartan' in these three years, the SDF president said the SKM government had no choice but to make "outrageous boasts about their successes." He claims that the SKM administration has so little to show for its efforts that the few dialysis equipment it purchased appear to be a major accomplishment.

"Let me explain how the SKM's claim of a healthcare system reform is nothing more than a clever repackaging of the previous government's accomplishments.

In every field, the infrastructure built by the SDF administration is helping the people of Sikkim and will continue to serve them for decades. During the previous three years, the SKM government has just been inaugurating them. Their manifesto or Mann Ko Diary is the only place where you can find a list of what they've made. People can use what we created all across Sikkim. "They haven't even purchased a single plastic chair," Chamling added.

The SDF government, according to the former Chief Minister, conceptualised and built the gigantic new STNM Hospital in Sochakgang, the largest hospital ever built by any State government in India.

"To make this historic initiative a success, we merged multiple budgets." I know how we got through it. We purchased ultra-modern equipment and furniture in addition to the large state-of-the-art hospital structures. In Kolkata, I met with the CMD of the Central Bank of India to request a loan of Rs. 300 crore to purchase the instruments and equipment. I described the situation and my plan to him. The loan was approved with a nominal interest rate."

Chamling claims that the SKM will be unable to accomplish the task of installing all of these machinery and equipment. He stated they haven't been able to find qualified technicians to operate a lot of the unused equipment.

"The SKM government is operating a ready-made hospital." If there is any question, an RTI request can be used to learn what equipment, instruments, and furniture the SKM government has purchased. The previous administration purchased everything from high-end facilities to ultra-modern machines to world-class mattresses. Unfortunately, the SKM has not been able to properly maintain the building or pay health employees' salaries on time," Chamling added.

Chief Minister P.S. Golay was also accused by the SDF president of "openly lying" over the 50 more medical seats for Sikkim at SMIMS, Sikkim Manipal University. He said the SDF administration has received consent from the Centre and the Medical Council of India (MCI) to open a 50-seat State Medical College in Sikkim in 2017-18.

"In Sochakgang, we began building of a medical college. In the old STNM hospital buildings, we had also planned to start a college. The SKM administration abolished the college and merged the 50 medical seats with those of the Manipal Medical College in Tadong."

"The state of Sikkim will be required to pay Rs.5 lakh each pupil." PS Tamang, the Chief Minister, and a few SKM leaders blatantly lied about the 50 seats, claiming that they were given to our Sikkimese people. Let the public know that the SDF administration lobbied and worked with the Centre and MCI for several years to make these medical seats available. These seats were not given to anyone as a gift. They represent our long struggle for rights".

“If the State government had run the medical college successfully, the seats would have automatically increased to 100. Sikkim would have given jobs to our local people. Our medical and academic manpower would have been strengthened,” said the SDF president. He added that the under-construction 300-bedded Namchi hospital was also planned, designed and approved by the SDF government in 2018 at an estimated cost of Rs. 375 crore. But since the SKM was voted to form the government, all they did was to increase the cost to Rs. 585 crore and move the project to the Veterinary play-ground, he said.