SHILLONG: The state government on Tuesday asked the Centre to set up a liver transplantation centre in NEIGRIHMS to provide succour to patients in the state who now have to travel outside for the procedure incurring huge expenditure.
Health Minister AL Hek after meeting Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Dr Harsh Vardhan, said that patients now have to shell out Rs 20-25 lakh for a liver transplantation outside, but if the proposal is approved the cost could come down to as low as Rs 4-5 lakh. Vardhan said he would examine the matter.
According to Hek, they also discussed about the shortage of doctors especially specialists in the premiere institute.
Hek also submitted a Rs 52-crore proposal to Vardhan to combat Japanese Encephalitis in the state particularly in the Garo Hills.
“ We would require central assistance for fuming machines, nets and even for vaccination,” Hek said.
At least 16 persons were affected by Japanese Encephalitis in West Garo Hills district earlier. “We discussed how to take adequate preventive measures so that such dreaded vector borne diseases do not
affect our population again,” he said.
Hek also asked the Union Minister to sanction more funds for completion of the cancer wing at the Shillong Civil Hospital. The construction of the wing started in 2011 with a funding of Rs 26 crore from the Department of Atomic Energy.
In 2015, a team from the department had pulled up the state government for the delay.Sophisticated equipment worth Rs 15 crore will be used to provide better medical facilities to patients.
The cancer wing is the need of the hour in view of the high incidence of the disease in the state and the rest of the North East.
