Shillong, Sept 07: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma today inaugurated the Mawryngkneng CHC in the presence of Deputy Chief Minister, Prestone Tynsong and MLA & MDC, Mawryngkneng, Pynaid Sing Syiem.
The Chief Minister, Conrad K Sangma, expressing happiness in inaugurating the CHC, Transit Home for High Risk Pregnant Women and the SHG Mela said that the woman was a common factor in all the three factors.
“Women were facing a lot of maternity related problems like death during childbirth, multiple pregnancies, high risk pregnancies, anemia etc and there were many reasons attributed to these problems and the health and pregnancy of the woman was also connected to the economic activities of the women,” he said.
He further informed that the MOTHER programme (Meghalaya’s Outcome and Transformation in Health, Education and Rural Sector) was conceptualized to take care of the health, education and rural empowerment of women.
The Chief Minister also added that the Transit Home for High-Risk Pregnant Women is for giving shelter and care to pregnant women who live in far flung areas.
“These transit homes give shelter, food and medical care so that they can have safe institutional deliveries and today we have 180 transit homes across the State giving service and care to the high risk mothers and those who live in far flung areas,” he added.
He also said that the Self Help Group movement has empowered women in rural areas. “This is an achievement that most states in the country have not been able to achieve and this has been possible only because of the hard work that has been put in by the officials and the active participation of the women of the State,” he said.
He further added that the government is now looking at these Self Help Groups to be formed into cooperative societies so that more help and financial support can be given.
“The Self Help Groups are very important to society because it also creates a system and mechanism where the government can reach every single household because of the large network of the Self Help Groups and help the people participate in various Health, Education and Environmental programmes of the government through these Self Help Groups,” he said.
The bed capacity at Mawryngkneng CHC has been increased from six to thirty and efforts will be taken to make the CHC conduct specialized services.
To support the SHG Movement in the State of Meghalaya through the NRLM Program, the Chief Minister also sanctioned an amount of Rs 20 Crores as Community Investment Fund to be transferred to 896 Village Organisation across all the 12 Districts. The CIF Fund will benefit 4676 SHGs impacting 46,700 HH’s in the State.
Out of the 20 Crores, 4 Crore is Sanctioned to East Khasi Hills and 1 Crore for Mawrynkneng Block. Five VOs from Mawrynkneng received the CIF Fund amounting to 4300000/.
Community Investment Fund is a fund provided to SHGs through VOs, to enable individuals SHG members to take up various income generating activities. Through the SHG network MSRLS intend to promote 1st generation women entrepreneurs
In addition to Community Investment Fund, an amount of 5 lakhs Bank Loan was sanctioned during the occasion to 5 SHGs from Mawrynkneng Block.
Earlier en route to Mawryngkneng the Chief Minister also interacted with students and teachers from Presbyterian Secondary School, Mawlyngngad, St Mazarello Secondary School, Mawlyngngad, Mt Zion Secondary School, Sohryngkham and Green Hills Secondary School, Sohryngkham.
