By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Feb 25: The Health department has adopted a new system based on five pillars to strengthen the healthcare system in the state.
Principal Secretary, Health and Family Welfare department, Sampath Kumar, said that the department is working on strengthening leadership and governance by building a sense of purpose along with capabilities to identify and solve complex local problems by challenging default notions.
The new system adopted by the department is based on five pillars — citizen-state relationship, local leadership through solving problem, effective use of data and technology, address systemic challenges and build political supportability.
The basic approach, he said, includes implementing sustainable financing mechanisms, building effective health information system, investment in training and education of health workers and promoting efficient allocation of resources.
Highlighting a few of the systemic interventions for improving the healthcare system in Meghalaya, he said that they have launched the ‘Rescue Mission’, which has helped in 50 per cent reduction of maternal deaths and 42 per cent reduction of infant deaths between 2020 and 2023.
Kumar also spoke about the SMS Reduction Mission which has helped in lowering Moderate Acute Malnutrition (MAM) and Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) in children.
According to him, the reduction in MAM among children is 4,226 to 3,136 between January and September, 2023, and the SAM was reduced from 2,013 to 1,200 during the same period.
He further shed light on Meghalaya Health System Strengthening System funded by World Bank to enhance the health system performance and quality of services through strategic investment in areas of programme management, health insurance and quality of health service delivery.
