SHILLONG: Chief Minister Conrad Sangma and Health Minister AL Hek have sought the Centre’s help for the Free Drugs Policy in the state and setting up of an Anti-Retroviral Therapy centre in Jowai.
Sangma and Hek met Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda at his residence in New Delhi on Monday in presence of ministry officials, a statement issued by the CMO said.
They discussed a slew of development initiatives to improve healthcare infrastructure in Meghalaya. A memorandum was submitted in this regard.
Hek told Nadda that the state, with the help of the Centre, is developing critical infrastructure which will give a fillip to primary, secondary and tertiary healthcare in Meghalaya.
He also sought Nadda’s intervention in setting up an Anti-Retroviral Therapy centre in Jowai to which the central minister said the ministry would extend all support for providing care to HIV/AIDS patients.
Upgradation of several PHCs, CHCs and sub-health centres as well as Ganesh Das Hospital in Shillong and infrastructure support for the cancer wing at Civil Hospital were discussed at length.
Sangma said the state would need additional fund for recently approved Free Drugs Policy.
A special request was also made for setting up of a specialised physiotherapy and sports injury centre in the state for the National Games 2022. Nadda told Sangma and Hek that all support to impart training would be provided by the ministry.
The development of NEIGRIHMS, which has been marred with controversies, was also on the priority list for discussion and Nadda “has assured that necessary interventions will be made for improvement of the institute and resolving several pending issues with regards to administrative functioning”.
On the issue of non-functional equipment at healthcare institutes in Meghalaya, Nadda suggested that the state opt for Bio Medical Maintenance Programme where it has to sign an MoU with an agency for annual maintenance, which will be funded by the ministry.
Sangma and Hek expressed their gratefulness to Nadda for sanctioning Rs 189 crore for Tura Medical College and requested him to consider the revised estimates, which is Rs 244 crore.
“The meeting with Nadda was fruitful and positive as he assured to extend all possible support from the ministry to enhance medical services in the state,” said the statement.
