SHILLONG, Jan 21: Chief minister Conrad Sangma on Thursday said five mothers and 30 children die every week in Meghalaya due to different situations which need to change.
“On an average we lose almost five mothers every week in Meghalaya because of different situations that are there every week. More than 30 children are dying and therefore as a government we have started many programmes and monitored this in a very detailed manner,” Sangma said, while addressing the gathering at U Soso Tham Auditorium here on the occasion of the 49th Statehood Day celebration.
Stating that the government is keeping track of every mother who’s pregnant and every child who’s born, he said, “We’re ensuring that we continuously monitor this. But this is an exercise… as I said the government will play its role but the family and the society also have to be a part of the entire exercise”.
“If we really want to make a difference I strongly feel that in the coming years this should be one of the most important pillars and the most important objective and vision. I should say the task for our government and for a state is to ensure that we save the lives of every mother and every child,” the chief minister said.
He observed that the human development aspect was going to be important to determine the next 15-20 years of development of the state.
“We as a society and as a government need to put our heads and hearts together to be able to change this aspect,” Sangma said.
Focusing on the aspect of early childhood development, the chief minister said, “I’m happy to inform you that our state is one of the first states in the country to come out with the early childhood education programme. We have budgeted, sanctioned and released Rs 10 crore in this financial year itself to start these programmes where we make the different ICDS (Integrated Child Development Services) centres as early childhood education centres”.
He further maintained that the state government strongly felt that every child should be given an opportunity to get maximum benefit from the centres.
Sangma said this was important for children between the age of 0 to 5 so that maximum skills and other intelligence aspects come to the fore.
“These are two areas in human development which we feel strongly that in the coming year as well as in the years to come, will be a challenge,” he added.