SHILLONG, Nov 19: A total of 88 doctors from Meghalaya have completed a six-month specialised programme in Tamil Nadu to bridge gaps in medical expertise and upgrade Community Health Centers (CHCs) into First Referral Units (FRUs).
The programme is part of an interstate partnership to strengthen healthcare delivery in Meghalaya, following a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the governments of Meghalaya and Tamil Nadu. The training focused on Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric Care, Life-Saving Anaesthetic Skills, and Ultrasonography.
Principal Secretary for Health, Sampath Kumar, highlighted that the maternal mortality rate (MMR) in Meghalaya has decreased by over 50% in the last four years. “With a lot of effort, we have witnessed a significant decline in maternal deaths. However, as a state, one of our strongest desires is to reduce this even further,” he said during a review meeting on MMR.
Kumar stated that weekly review meetings are conducted to analyse root causes and mobilise actions to prevent such deaths in the future. “Through constant processes, we take concerted action on the ground to identify further support needed. Every mother’s life is important, and we need to ensure their safety,” he added.
He also mentioned the Chief Minister’s Safe Motherhood Scheme (CM-SMS), a programme aimed at reducing maternal and infant mortality rates. This scheme has provided substantial support to medical officers, enabling them to use available resources to save mothers’ lives.
Addressing the lack of ultrasound expertise in the past, Kumar said, “We tied up with the Tamil Nadu government, and now 60 doctors have been trained there and are managing this service.”
He added that approximately 80,000 pregnant mothers deliver annually in the state. “Strengthening the health system is an ongoing process and cannot be achieved in a single day; it requires consistent effort from everyone,” Kumar said.
