By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Sep 20: Leader of Opposition, Ronnie V Lyngdoh urged the state government to impress upon the Centre to upgrade NEIGRIHMS to an AIIMS-like institution.
Raising the issue during Question Hour on the third day of autumn session of the Assembly on Wednesday, Lyngdoh voiced his concern over the absence of advanced healthcare facilities in NEIGRIHMS.
According to him, NEIGRIHMS still lacks departments like endocrinology, nephrology with dialysis unit, gastroenterology, organ transplant, plastic surgery, burns unit, pediatric surgery, medical oncology and nuclear science.
He mentioned that Karnataka, Kerala, Goa, Sikkim, Tripura, Mizoram and Manipur requested the Centre for the setting up of AIIMS-like institutes.
Lyngdoh further said the Committee on Estimates in Parliament asked the Ministry of Health that it desired to know if the Centre has any plan to upgrade RIMS, Imphal or any other medical institutions in the Northeast given the fact that AIIMS, Guwahati will not be sufficient for all states of the region for specialty and super specialty treatment.
“My question is if other states have written, then why Meghalaya has not written to upgrade NEIGRIHMS to an AIIMS-like institution,” the Congress MLA asked.
He observed that a lot of doctors from NEIGRIHMs have joined AIIMS, Guwahati due to better opportunities and better treatment facilities.
He urged the government to take the matter seriously, stating that there are very few people in Meghalaya who can afford treatment outside. He stressed on comprehensive healthcare services in the state to reduce the financial burden on the residents.
The Leader of Opposition pointed out that the Centre will not have to spend a lot of money since NEIGRIHMS has the necessary facilities and infrastructure and there is also no problem of land. He said some additional infrastructure will be required here and there to upgrade NEIGRIHMS. In her reply, Health Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh said there is a USP to the nomenclature of AIIMS and there is a feeling that if the state has an AIIM-like institution, then it will have access to a state-of-the-art institution.
She pointed out that NEIGRIHMS is an autonomous institute with various facilities and its expansion is underway. She informed the House that the institute will get a state-of-the-art oncology department with high-tech facilities for radiology and other facilities.
“We already had a conversation with the Union Health Minister and we will pursue the matter. We are just preparing a DO (demo official) to the Union health minister to also look into the matter. We will be very fortunate to have that kind of an institution in Meghalaya,” she said.
Reacting to her reply, the Leader of Opposition said he feels AIIMS is not merely a tag but it has many advantages including financial and administrative powers. He expressed happiness that the state government has taken up the matter with the Centre.