By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, March 26: A high-level review of Meghalaya’s health sector has flagged gaps in rural healthcare delivery, specialist availability, child nutrition and adolescent wellbeing, with officials advocating the need for targeted and sustained interventions across the state.
Advisor to the Health department Dr. Mehtab Chandee A. Sangma chaired the meeting at the Meghalaya Secretariat, where senior officials reviewed ongoing programmes, system challenges and priority areas requiring immediate attention.
An overview of the department’s progress was presented by Additional Chief Secretary Sampath Kumar, highlighting interventions under Mission 1000 Days, strengthening of rural health infrastructure and the Chief Minister’s Headman Fellowship.
The review noted that Meghalaya continues to face a high stunting burden of 46 per cent, indicating the need for coordinated action.
Updates on HIV were also presented by the Meghalaya AIDS Control Society, with emphasis on sustained focus and early intervention given the high-risk nature of the disease.
During the meeting, Dr. Sangma pointed to the shortage of specialists across Primary Health Centres (PHCs) and Community Health Centres (CHCs), particularly in rural areas where nearly 80 per cent of the population resides.
She noted that patients are often compelled to travel due to the absence of specialised care and called for improved deployment strategies.
She also stressed the need to create supportive working conditions for doctors, including better infrastructure and consideration of personal and family needs, to improve retention and performance.
Highlighting adolescent health, Dr. Sangma underlined the importance of the Meghalaya Programme for Adolescents Wellbeing, Empowerment and Resilience, while noting that timely interventions are critical given the state’s large young population.
Addressing the issue of stunting, she identified poor nutrition, lack of dietary diversity and inadequate exclusive breastfeeding practices as key causes, and stressed the need to improve maternal nutrition and child feeding practices. Calling for detailed analysis of infant deaths, she noted that early treatment of conditions such as upper respiratory infections can prevent progression to pneumonia, a leading cause of infant mortality.
Concerns over anaemia among mothers and children were also flagged, with emphasis on early detection and intervention.
The issue of teenage pregnancy was identified as a significant concern, which was linked to school dropouts and broader social challenges, including POCSO-related cases. The need for awareness, access to contraception and targeted interventions for adolescents was emphasised.
The meeting also highlighted the need to address HIV with urgency, along with strengthening public health systems through trained ASHAs, improved malaria response and community-level interventions.
The Meghalaya Health Insurance Scheme was noted for its reach in rural areas, with emphasis on expanding awareness and coverage.
Key infrastructure measures discussed included upgrading CHCs into First Referral Units, expanding Neonatal Intensive Care Unit facilities to reduce infant mortality, and improving infrastructure through solarisation of facilities and strengthening supply chains via Meghalayan Medical Drugs and Services Limited.
The meeting concluded with a focus on improving service delivery, strengthening systems and ensuring last-mile access to healthcare across Meghalaya.
