After Japan, M’laya to send trained nurses to Germany

SHILLONG, April 15: In a significant move to expand employment opportunities for healthcare professionals from Meghalaya, the state government is preparing to send trained nurses and nursing care providers to Germany through a placement initiative facilitated by the Meghalaya State Skill Development Society (MSSDS).
Health Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh confirmed that several healthcare institutions in Germany have formally expressed interest in recruiting qualified personnel from the state.
“The MSSDS is in touch with several employers and health facility centres in Germany, and they have expressed their interest to the government to train more nurses so that they can go to Germany and work as nurses or nursing care providers,” Lyngdoh said.
To simplify the application process, MSSDS has introduced a digital registration system through a QR code, allowing interested candidates to directly enrol for selection. “Once you scan the QR code and you’re an eligible candidate, your name gets registered and is sent to the employer. They will then conduct their selection and shortlisted candidates will be called to the MSSDS centre at Umsawli,” she informed.
The Umsawli centre, which is in its final stages of construction, is set to become a dedicated hub for skill development, including language training and specialised courses based on the employment requirements of destination countries.
“It’s a good opportunity for us. Once the government, through MSSDS, undertakes this particular training, portions of the programme will be covered by the government in due course, just like we did for the earlier batches of nurses,” Lyngdoh explained, adding that selected candidates will also be provided financial support through the state’s skill development programme.
While MSSDS centres in various districts are already operational and offering different training modules, the health minister informed that the Umsawli facility would serve as a central hub for advanced classroom-based instruction and assessments. “The project is well advanced. It’s just a matter of inauguration now. The lab and classroom are already under construction,” she added.
On the language training front, Lyngdoh said the curriculum would be tailored according to demand from different countries, with plans to gradually expand to additional destinations.
“We are looking at it as per demand. We are already working hand in hand with the Japan embassy, now it will be Germany, and it could be many more. If you don’t start the ball rolling, there will be no takers,” Lyngdoh remarked.
It was also informed that the government is adopting a demand-driven approach and will finalise the number of trainees based on actual recruitment requests from partnering countries.
“Let us look at the demand that comes from various countries. We’ll take a call when the demands are met. Right now, we’re sending the QR code to citizens. If interested, scan the code and you’ll be contacted for further details. We’ll cross the bridge once we know what numbers we’re dealing with,” the health minister said.
Meghalaya has already witnessed a steady migration of qualified nurses to international destinations such as Singapore and Japan, and Lyngdoh stated that the trend is expected to continue.
“A good number of nurses are already out. Several batches have gone to Japan, and this will continue to build over the years. This is a window of opportunity for qualified personnel from the state,” she noted.