SHILLONG, Feb 19: Meghalaya Health Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh on Monday informed the house that there is no proposal for setting up a medical college in the Jaintia Hills region but expressed hope to have one someday.
The health minister was replying to a question raised by UDP legislator from Mookaiaw Nujorki Sungoh during the ongoing assembly session.
“One day I hope we see a medical college in Jowai. I cannot make that commitment as it is a huge commitment,” Lyngdoh said.
She strongly disagreed with the claims of MLA Sungoh who termed the health infrastructure in the region as “bad”, mentioning that, “We understand that there are these concerns…I understand we do need to put pressure (but) I have gone to many hospitals and we do need to pull up our socks and we will do in the coming months and years.”
She also announced that soon the government plans to install an advanced radiology system in Jowai civil hospital.
Sungoh, while raising supplementary questions during the question hour, had expressed concern over the health infrastructure in the Jaintia Hills region.
He also urged the government to consider setting up a primary health centre (PHC) at Psiar, located along the inter-state border, and pointed out that the village had already donated 4 acres of land for the purpose.
To this, the health minister assured that the government will attend to the proposal.
“The application (for Psiar) has come. The MLA is working very diligently and we are working and evaluating certain (issues) and we will see whether Psiar is eligible for this upgradation,” she said.
The minister also asserted the need to ensure availability of adequate human resources in the many buildings that the government has constructed.
“We are working to sanctioning posts for all (such) buildings,” assured the health minister.
