Shillong, August 20: Meghalaya Health Minister, Shri Wailadmiki Shylla visited NEIGRIHMS today to discuss issues pertaining to identification of strategies to ensure access to quality tertiary health care offered by NEIGRIHMS for the people of the region, especially those for the people of Meghalaya.
The minister was highly appreciative of the state-of-the-art facilities provided by NEIGRIHMS but expressed concerned that the local population was not utilizing the multi-specialty facilities available at the premier institute optimally.
Shri Shylla was keen to identify ways to make NEIGRIHMS the first choice referral center for patients seeking specialized health care, and address the gaps that kept local people from approaching NEIGRIHMS while people from other NE states thronged the tertiary care center. The meeting was attended by officials from the state health department and NEIGRIHMS administration.
Prof. (Dr.) Nalin Mehta, Director NEIGRIHMS, assured the Hon’ble Health Minister that his team would address the issues raised by him. Amongst the first couple of things that would be taken up on priority would be that NEIGRIHMS would strengthen its outreach health awareness programs across the state, instituted measures to ease the language barrier between patients and healthcare personnel at NEIGRIHMS, and partner with the State Government teams by sending specialist doctors to various health centers periodically.
Shri. Shylla proposed holding regular meetings between NEIGRIHMS and the state government, once every three months, to review, follow-up and discuss the needs of Meghalaya’s people and formulate strategies to address them in a timely manner.
It was also agreed that NEIGRIHMS would coordinate with the State Government to provide high-end and expensive medical services, such as cancer treatment and life-saving cardiac procedures, which are beyond the financial support of the Megha Health Insurance Scheme (MHIS) packages by garnering funds that are made available by RAN and similar central government schemes.
Prof. Mehta further mentioned that NEIGRIHMS has plans to expand its services with the addition of a Regional Cancer Centre, a Critical Care Block, a De-addiction and Rehabilitation Centre, enhanced dialysis services, organ transplant services, a dental college, and increase in MBBS admission seats.
Prof. Mehta further added that the long-pending issue of granting Institute of National Importance (INI) status to NEIGRIHMS will surely help tide over faculty shortages and speed up approvals for introducing various academic courses. The Minister promised to personally review the progress needed to elevate NEIGRIHMS to an INI and present the demand to the Union Health Minister.
NEIGRIHMS also extended its full support for specialty training of doctors and other healthcare personnel from Meghalaya at the institute.
