Our Bureau
NONGPOH/SHILLONG, June 4: Seeking to plug a critical gap in Meghalaya’s tertiary healthcare, Union Health Minister JP Nadda on Thursday inaugurated the ARHI Hospital at Jorabat, bringing high-end cancer diagnostics and neonatal intensive care to the state’s doorstep to reduce the “medical migration” to Guwahati.
The facility’s introduction of a PET-CT scan facility and a dedicated oncology unit marks a significant shift for a state struggling with high cancer rates. For decades, patients from Ri-Bhoi and the Khasi Hills have been forced to cross the border into Assam for basic specialized diagnostics.
Strategically located at the Jorabat bottleneck on the Guwahati-Shillong Road, the hospital also features a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and modular operation theatres. These services are expected to improve survival rates for trauma cases on the highway and provide essential care for newborns in rural Meghalaya.
The inauguration was attended by Meghalaya Health Minister Wailadmiki Shylla, C&RD Minister Sosthenes Sohtun, and Nongpoh MLA Mayralborn Syiem. The hospital’s chairman is AL Hek, a sitting MLA and the state’s former Health Minister.
Addressing the gathering, Nadda stated that the hospital aligns with the National Health Policy’s goal of strengthening healthcare delivery. He noted that the Northeast has seen a focused expansion of medical infrastructure through the “Act East” policy, aimed at bringing specialised treatment closer to the grassroots.
While the facility is private, local leaders expressed hope that the availability of advanced diagnostics within the state would ease the financial and logistical burden on families who previously had to travel to Vellore or Guwahati for life-saving treatment.
