The recently inaugurated Patient’s Park, at the District Hospital Tuensang, is a project initiated by the Chang Wedoshi Setshang (CWS), the apex Student Body of the Chang community.
Adorned with flowers planted in recyclable materials, park benches, and swing sets, the Patient’s Park is the outcome of the hard labour of the Chang Students’ Conference, designed to provide a space of healing for the sick and help replace their sickeness and stress with a fresh environment.
The project which began in July, took over two months for completion costing Rs.2, 70,510, contributed by the CWS office, officials and well wishers. The construction for the Park was voluntarily laboured by members of CWS along with a few hired labourers.
According to the CWS, the main objective of the project is directed towards the welfare of the patients at the Tuensang District Hospital to help refresh their minds. “As healing should start as soon as they enter the hospital premises when they get admitted,” stated the CWS. The initiative is also projected towards promoting awareness on the role of the communities to lend hand and give support for the welfare of the people. “The Community should join hands if we want our society to develop in better ways,” expressed the CWS.
Speaking to Nagaland Tribune, Langasomba Chang, Construction Convenor, Vice President of CWS shared that the entire project was initiated by the Chang Students’ Conference, with the Convenor along with two secretaries Changsomba and Langa Chuba.
With the communitization of Education and Health sector by the Government, the Convenor mentioned, the Conference came up with the agenda to work for the benefit of the students community and also extend a helping hand in the health sector and to further, monitor problems faced by the public at any health institution. Following the discussions of these agendas, the proposition to initiate the Patient’s park project came up.
Chang expressed gratitude to the officials and members of Chang Students’ Conference for contributing their hard work to help the teams successfully complete the project.
Making an appeal community, Chang urged, “People should regard the hospital premises as their own home and make it a “plastic free zone” keeping it clean and hygienic and lend contributions in any shortage.”
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Acknowledging the contribution rendered by the CWS, Dr. Senilo Magh, MD Psychiatry, Junior Specialist, District Hospital Tuensang, expressed that such community participation is what makes the hospital, or any Government facility, sustainable. “The public should take ownership and participate in the growth and development of Government facilities, which means this should not be the first and last but a routine participation whereby the CWS continues to take ownership and participate through various ways like planting flower saplings, cleaning etc in the coming days,” reflected Dr. Magh expressing optimism that this initiative will encourage other bodies and groups to participate in different ways for the growth of the hospital.
“Our message to the public has always been ‘My Hospital, My responsibility’ to inculcate a sense of ownership so much so that when the hospital (any govt facility) performs well or fails to do so they take equal pride and blame,” added Dr. Magh.
Conversing with Nagaland Tribune, Dr.Puse Liegise, Medical Superintendent, District Hospital Tuensang, conveyed that the District Hospital Tuensang aspires to be patient friendly, easily accessible, and to provide quality service in a clean and healthy environment.
“The Hospital also promotes ‘health’ as a social responsibility and encourages participation of people, both as individual or in group, both from within the Hospital staff or from the community. We are happy and encouraged to have the CWS contribute and participate in the Hospital beautification activity. We hope this will help to bring a sense of ownership over this public Hospital,” remarked Dr. Liegise.
