State to seek AIIMS-like status for NEIGRIHMS

SHILLONG, June 27: The state government will push the Union Health Ministry to accord the North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health & Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS) the status of an institute of national importance akin to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).
Health Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh said this on Thursday after conducting a review of the department. She said that a delegation from the Health department would meet Union Health Minister JP Nadda next week to sort out various pending issues concerning NEIGRIHMS.
The state government would take up the matter pertaining to the operationalisation of the cancer research centre at the institute. In addition, the government also wants to ensure that a good number of seats for postgraduate studies in NEIGRIHMS are reserved for doctors from Meghalaya.
“We will discuss the provision of a special quota for our doctors to study PG courses in NEIGRIHMS as the institute is located in Meghalaya and additional focus should be given to the state,” she added.
According to Lyngdoh, another issue that will be discussed with the Union ministry is the exodus of medical professionals from Meghalaya.
She stated that certain criteria which were flagged by the Union government for remote health centres would also be taken up for discussion since the state government is looking for central funding to strengthen the tertiary healthcare services in Meghalaya.
The state government is also planning to draw the Centre’s attention to the huge shortage of medical professionals and the large number of vacancies in health centres across Meghalaya.