SHILLONG:
The government will work towards the expansion and improvement of NEIGRIHMS (North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences) and has revealed plans for the Chief Minister to draft a proposal to the Union Health Ministry. This proposal aims to establish an AIIMS (All India Institute of Medical Sciences) -like institution within Meghalaya, addressing the pressing need for advanced healthcare facilities in the state.
On the third day of the autumn session of the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly, Leader of the Opposition and Mylliem MLA Ronnie V Lyngdoh voiced concerns about the absence of advanced healthcare institutes like AIIMS in Meghalaya. Mylliem MLA questioned the state government’s Health Department about its plans to upgrade NEIGRIHMS or establish AIIMS-like institutions within the state. He emphasised the challenges posed by the inaccessibility of the only AIIMS in the northeast region, located in Guwahati.
He urged the Meghalaya government to take action, stressing that the absence of such facilities could lead to doctors leaving the state and economically disadvantaged citizens facing difficulties in seeking medical treatment elsewhere.
In response, Health Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh acknowledged the significance of the AIIMS nomenclature and its appeal to patients. She assured that NEIGRIHMS, as an autonomous institution, was already in the process of expansion and improvement, with plans to enhance facilities such as radiology and oncology. Furthermore, she revealed a conversation between the Chief Minister and herself, expressing their intention to draft a proposal to the Union Health Ministry to establish an AIIMS-like institution within Meghalaya.
Congress legislator Ronnie V Lyngdoh reiterated the importance of having advanced medical facilities within the state, emphasising that AIIMS offers not just a name but a wide range of medical specialities. He pointed out areas of healthcare where Meghalaya currently lags, including endocrinology, nephrology with a dialysis unit, gastrology-enterology, plastic surgery, burns units, and nuclear sciences. He stressed the urgent need for comprehensive healthcare services in Meghalaya to reduce the financial burden on the state’s residents.
The discussion concluded with a commitment to explore the possibility of establishing an advanced medical institute in Meghalaya, ensuring that the state’s residents have access to high-quality healthcare services closer to home.