The People's Bridge
“The People’s Bridge” was launched virtually by Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio at Hotel Vivor, signaling the strength of convergence effort and community participation on November 9. “The People’s Bridge” is a joint initiative of Eleutheros Christian Society (ECS), the community, The HANs Foundation, various government departments such as PWD, RD, PHED, The Assam Rifles, Border Roads Organization etc. It is mobilized by ECS with HANs Foundation and the people of Hakchang area as primary funder. The total value of bridge and 10 kms road stands Rs. 1.20 crore. According to the pamphlet, the eastern district of Nagaland, bordering Myanmar are the most underdeveloped districts in the state requiring urgent improvement in many area. Health is a major challenge. There are many factors that result in poor health service delivery. These includes poor health infrastructure, lack of proper equipment at the health centres, lack of awareness and inability to aces health services due to poverty. Added to this is the issue of difficult terrain where people have to walk 5-6 hours for basic services. This is a major reason for discontinued services and a low follow-up rate. In 2010, the then principle secretary of Directorate of Health & Family Welfare, Menukhol John visited Longpang PHC during which time ECS initiated a dialogue with the NHM, which now has become the only PHC in the entire country where doctors and nurses are appointed by the community and salary comes from the department of health and family welfare. To meet the basic health needs of the people, ECS started running this Longpang PHC on a Public-Private Partnership model between the department of Health & Family Welfare, the Government of Nagaland, and the community. The 20 bedded PHC now provides round-the-clock services and is equipped with all the essential diagnostic facilities such as X-ray, Ultrasound, ECG, CBC and biochemistry analyzers and a mother-child center with a fully functional labor room with its independent portable ultrasound machine and essential neonatal resuscitation equipment. One problem however has been access to health, particularly by remote villages to the PHC. In 2014, the villagers around the PHC met to discuss on road linkage. For 8 villages beyond the river it took them almost 3 hours since there was no bridge and had to travel 30 kms upstream and 30 kms back to the PHC. The villagers felt only if they could raise funds to build a bridge, it would mean their journey would be reduced to less than 10 kms. A bridge was then built over the Yijung River by the community using locally available resources. Unfortunately, that bridge got washed away by flood waters the following monsoon. Despite this huge loss, the community once again decided to go further downstream and re-build the bridge at a safer location. The village councils and church took the lead for building of the second bridge as wells and SHG mothers and members of the mother club came together to support the initiative. ECS helped mobilize the support to build this bridge. Through a massive convergence effort between various state departments such as PWD, MGNREGA, BRO, DEF Tuensang, Assam Rifles, the local MLA and individual donors and friend of ECS, the construction was initiated. Other noteworthy funder was the HANs Foundation who put in almost 60% of the cost. Young people came to help paint the bridge and many churches came to help in constructing wooden culverts on the link road. “This convergence effort led to the building of a 10 km link road and a 70 feet bridge. The link road and the bridge is the perfect example of how convergence of state, funders and the community can do wonder,” stated a pamphlet issued by ECS. Video Courtesy: ECS Tuensang
“The People’s Bridge” was launched virtually by Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio at Hotel Vivor, signaling the strength of convergence effort and community participation on November 9. “The People’s Bridge” is a joint initiative of Eleutheros Christian Society (ECS), the community, The HANs Foundation, various government departments such as PWD, RD, PHED, The Assam Rifles, Border Roads Organization etc. It is mobilized by ECS with HANs Foundation and the people of Hakchang area as primary funder. The total value of bridge and 10 kms road stands Rs. 1.20 crore. According to the pamphlet, the eastern district of Nagaland, bordering Myanmar are the most underdeveloped districts in the state requiring urgent improvement in many area. Health is a major challenge. There are many factors that result in poor health service delivery. These includes poor health infrastructure, lack of proper equipment at the health centres, lack of awareness and inability to aces health services due to poverty. Added to this is the issue of difficult terrain where people have to walk 5-6 hours for basic services. This is a major reason for discontinued services and a low follow-up rate. In 2010, the then principle secretary of Directorate of Health & Family Welfare, Menukhol John visited Longpang PHC during which time ECS initiated a dialogue with the NHM, which now has become the only PHC in the entire country where doctors and nurses are appointed by the community and salary comes from the department of health and family welfare. To meet the basic health needs of the people, ECS started running this Longpang PHC on a Public-Private Partnership model between the department of Health & Family Welfare, the Government of Nagaland, and the community. The 20 bedded PHC now provides round-the-clock services and is equipped with all the essential diagnostic facilities such as X-ray, Ultrasound, ECG, CBC and biochemistry analyzers and a mother-child center with a fully functional labor room with its independent portable ultrasound machine and essential neonatal resuscitation equipment. One problem however has been access to health, particularly by remote villages to the PHC. In 2014, the villagers around the PHC met to discuss on road linkage. For 8 villages beyond the river it took them almost 3 hours since there was no bridge and had to travel 30 kms upstream and 30 kms back to the PHC. The villagers felt only if they could raise funds to build a bridge, it would mean their journey would be reduced to less than 10 kms. A bridge was then built over the Yijung River by the community using locally available resources. Unfortunately, that bridge got washed away by flood waters the following monsoon. Despite this huge loss, the community once again decided to go further downstream and re-build the bridge at a safer location. The village councils and church took the lead for building of the second bridge as wells and SHG mothers and members of the mother club came together to support the initiative. ECS helped mobilize the support to build this bridge. Through a massive convergence effort between various state departments such as PWD, MGNREGA, BRO, DEF Tuensang, Assam Rifles, the local MLA and individual donors and friend of ECS, the construction was initiated. Other noteworthy funder was the HANs Foundation who put in almost 60% of the cost. Young people came to help paint the bridge and many churches came to help in constructing wooden culverts on the link road. “This convergence effort led to the building of a 10 km link road and a 70 feet bridge. The link road and the bridge is the perfect example of how convergence of state, funders and the community can do wonder,” stated a pamphlet issued by ECS. Video Courtesy: ECS Tuensang