Social Infrastructure

Health

In the capital of Sikkim, there is one state hospital that is Sir Tashi Namgyal Memorial Hospital with a strength of 300 beds and qualified doctors for all the special fields. In the state of Sikkim, there are all together 147 Primary Health Sub Centers, (PHSC), 24 Primary Health Centers (PHC), 4 Community Health Centers (CHC) and 400 bedded Central Referral Hospital cum Medical College in collaboration with medical group. There is one Leprosy hospital at Sajong, Rumtek.

Achievements in Health Care Services

Here are some of the achievements made by the Department in the delivery of health care services to the people-

• De-addiction-cum-treatment Centre for drug addicts and alcoholics is under construction at STNM Hospital, Gangtok.
• School Health Programme that was initiated in the year 1979 was made more comprehensive in nature and coverage. It covers students from class I to V with services like immunisation, health check up, health education and teachers training. Every year primary school teachers are also trained under this programme. Similarly, 15 schools under Rangpo PHC have been taken up under National School Health Programme
• Under the programme, free distribution of oral dehydration salt packets are also done for severe cases through all the hospitals, PHCs and PHSCs. These packets are taken even to the doorsteps of the rural people through trained health guides. About 30,000 packets are distributed annually.
• To bring about a better health status among mothers and children, nutrition programme is being implemented throughout the state. There are two components of the programme viz. Supplementary Nutrition Programme (SNP) and Mid Day Meal Programme. Under the SNP, pre-school children and pregnant & nursing mothers are provided with food.
• Under the National Programme for control of blindness, free cataract operations are performed at STNM hospital.
• Family Planning Services are provided free of cost to all the eligible couples through the Hospitals, PHCs and PHSCs. Teams of doctors and paramedical staff have been trained for laproscopy operations. The team caters to all the four districts.
• Sophisticated equipment have been received free of cost under the German Community Grant for the use of STNM Hospital, Gangtok.
• Successful free Cataract Eye Camp and Intraocular lens implantation were organised at Singtam and Namchi in collaboration with the Foundation Eye Care, Himalaya, and Netherland, Nepal.
• Free medicines and free diet in all the hospitals and PHCs have been a great incentive for the rural people to avail of health services.
• Treatment for ailment for which facilities do not exist in the State are referred for treatment outside Sikkim and financial aid provided by the government. This is a unique feature of the state.
• Although greater stress has been given to primary health care, curative aspect of health has not been neglected. To ease the congestion in the OPD Clinics, new emergency cum OPD complexes has been added to the old building. For better diagnostic and treatment facilities, sophisticated equipments like Gastroscope, Ultrasound, Omniscope have been provided. Specialised services in the field of medicine, surgery anesthesia, orthopedics, paedritics, ophthalmology, dental, dermatology and psychiatry have been added. Super-specialty in Cardiology with intensive coronary care unit has also been introduced. A state level Blood Bank and Transfusion unit with facilities for HIVF screening has also been set up.

Education

Sikkim has a literacy rate of 69.68 per cent (2001 census) against all India literacy rate of 64.8 percent.The male literacy rate is 76.73 per cent and female literacy rate is 61.46 per cent.

The state has 531 primary, 118 middle (junior) schools, 77 secondary schools, 43 senior secondary schools and 2 public schools. Apart from this there are 2 degree colleges, 1 each of engineering college, medical college, law college and sheda. Also it has 50 monastic schools, 12 Sanskrit pathshala and 1 each of madarsa, teachers training institute and industrial training institute.

For higher education the state has following educational Institutes, which are the specialized for giving the city a base of highly educated manpower and which will enable the state to move rapidly into the information age