By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, May 23: Meghalaya is looking to expand AI-based disease screening, strengthen telemedicine services in local languages and develop specialised healthcare training programmes following a high-level consultation on private sector engagement in the state’s health sector held in Shillong on May 22.
The meeting, attended by government officials, development agencies, healthcare experts and private sector representatives, identified several priority areas for collaboration aimed at improving healthcare delivery, particularly in remote and underserved regions of the state.
Among the key outcomes discussed was the development of short-term specialised training modules for medical officers, strengthening last-mile medicine delivery systems and improving coordination between public and private healthcare providers.
Participants also proposed expanding telemedicine infrastructure with local language support and integrating district-level health data systems for better policy planning and decision-making.
The discussions also focused on scaling up the use of Artificial Intelligence in healthcare, particularly for screening non-communicable diseases and tuberculosis. Additional Chief Secretary Sampath Kumar said around 90,000 people had already been screened under Meghalaya’s AI-enabled TB screening initiative.
The state also explored opportunities for preparing Meghalaya’s nursing workforce for overseas placements, particularly in Germany and Japan, through language and competency training programmes.
Officials further discussed low-cost patient financing models, outcome-based budgeting and the possibility of moving away from fragmented project-based healthcare interventions towards a more coordinated multi-donor platform aligned with state priorities.
The consultation additionally identified infrastructure gaps in the healthcare sector, including the need for certification-linked quality assurance systems, simulation-based training tools and improved digital health systems to support service delivery in difficult terrain.
According to the organisers, the meeting concluded with a proposed roadmap to convert the discussions into pilot projects and practical collaborations involving the government, private sector and international development agencies.
