Shillong, April 2: The Union Minister Gulam Nabi Azad while addressing the gathering on his visit to North East Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (
) said that steps have been taken to address to health sector to cater to the increasing demand in the Health sector, Azad said that some path breaking steps have been taken which includes raising the number of MBBS seats by 46 percent and the number of PG seats by 70 percent.
Further , also mentioned that for setting up of medical colleges which earlier required 25 acres of land has now been reduced to 20 acres which could be broken into two areas within 10 kilometre radius to tackle the problem of land acquisition especially in the North Eastern Region and backward areas.
He also informed that speciality courses would be started in the upcoming years in NEIGRIHMS.
Coming to the institute, the Union Minister informed that three more new projects are in the offing for which includes the setting up of Under Graduate medical college, nursing college and setting up of the Regional Cancer Centre for which 280 crores have been allocated.
He also informed that a regional paramedical institute is going to be set up in Mizoram to boost the paramedical sector. However, he said that the number of students for the state sponsored candidates would be fixed for every state irrespecive of where the institute is located.
He also informed that the Government of India has for the first time sanctioned 269 GNM and ANM schools to meet the shortage of nurses out of which 60 are for the NE states.
“But out of 60 only 39 schools have accepted”, the union minister said.
Regarding the issue of recognition of the institute by the Medical Council of India he said that the main area of filling up faculty positions which is a mandate for recognition was being address to.
Talking about lack of doctors in rural areas in Meghalaya, the Union Minister said that some reforms has been made so that it will attract doctors to work in the remote areas. The attraction given by the ministry include the pay for the faculty is now at par with the All India Medical Institute, New Delhi, retirement age is increased to 65 years and there is more scope for career progression which he hoped would attract faculty without compromising on standards.
He also expressed his hope that NEIGRIHMS would emerge as a premier institute in the years to come.
Besides, he also siad that the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare have launched a scheme especially for the BPL families in the country.
If any person holding a BPL card and suffering from any diseases such as cancer, heart diseases, kidney diseases besides others will get 100 percent treatment in any government hospitals in any parts of the country.
Moreover, he said that if a person not holding a BPL card but its monthly income is 5000 rupees can also get assistance uptil 1.60 lakh rupees from the government.
“Though the scheme is there being provided by the government however there is only few to come forward,” the Union Miinister said.
Especially people from the North east have never come forward to take the scheme. However, he said that most of the cases the ministry receive from West Bengal.(SP News)
