TURA: Meghalaya Chief Minister, Conrad K Sangma launched and distributed the Long Lasting Insecticidal Mosquito Nets (LLINs) for Garo Hills Region at District Auditorium, West Garo Hills, Tura on 4th July, 2020. The programme with the theme “Zero Malaria Starts with Me” was organised by District Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (DVBDCP), West Garo Hills Tura in collaboration with NVBDCP, Shillong. Adviser to the Chief Minister and MLA, North Tura, Thomas A Sangma, Superintendent of Police, West Garo Hills, Dr. M G R Kumar, Medical Officials of all districts of Garo Hills region were among others present at the function.
Speaking on the occasion Conrad K Sangma expressed his appreciation to all the medical fraternity for their dedication towards reduction and elimination of malaria and other vector borne diseases in the State of Meghalaya in general and Garo Hills region in particular.
Stating that even before the Covid situation in the State, the government have already planned to give Health sector a special priority and now after this pandemic, the government has decided to give top priority and more importance to health care and is in the process of finalising the full infrastructural upgradation of all Civil Hospitals, Maternal and Child Hospital, CHCs, PHCs and Sub-Centres including technical equipments in a phased manner which will provide affordable and accessible health care facilities to the people of the region. Further, the Chief Minister said that what is more important than infrastructure development is the people which make the health care system work including medical officers to ASHAs in the grassroot level and added that the society comprising of each and every individual should take responsibility and do their part in maintaining the health care system of every citizen in the district.
He also mentioned that the present District Auditorium, Tura which was inaugurated by Late P A Sangma in the year 1992 requires major repairing and therefore, a project for the construction of new auditorium is in the pipeline and construction work is likely to commence from this year itself, he added.
Commissioner and Secretary to the Health and Family Welfare, Government of Meghalaya Sampat Kumar explained in brief the functioning of the ASHAs which had been initiated and formed in the year 2007 by Late P A Sangma, former Lok Sabha MP to take care of malaria affected patients in earlier days and said that about 70 per cent of malaria patients in Garo Hills are being looked after by ASHAs in rural areas adding that at present also ASHAs are being engaged in Covid-19. Further, he also mentioned that various discussions had been done to uplift the health scenario in the state.
Deputy Director, Health Services (Malaria) cum State Programme Officer, NVBDCP, Meghalaya Dr. R Lyngdoh in her short presentation on Epidemiological Situation of Malaria in Meghalaya informed that malaria was the major health problem in the state, but in the last four years malaria has drastically reduced, except for South Garo Hills the overall scenario of malaria incidences in other district of the state are more or less controlled due to the sustained effort by the medical department.
Deputy Commissioner, West Garo Hills, Ram Singh, District Medical and Health Officer, Tura Dr. M R Sangma, Senior Medical and Health Officer incharge, DVBDCP, Tura Dr. B Ch Marak were among others who spoke during the launching programme.