Raphael Warjri

14 OCT 2023 Shillong: Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare, Dr Mansukh Mandaviya inaugurated a new Regional Cancer Centre, a new Under-Graduate Medical College, New Building of Nursing College, Hostels, 8 Modular Operation Theatres, a Virtual Autopsy and New Guest House at the North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS) in Shillong, Meghalaya today. He also laid the foundation stone for a 150-bed Critical Care Block at the institute. Shri Heaving Stone Kharpran, Member of Legislative Assembly, Meghalaya and Prof. Nalin Mehta, Director, NEIGRIHMS were also present.

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, Dr Mandaviya said, “The new facilities at NEIGRIHMS will provide much-needed healthcare services to the people of the Northeast region. The Central Government is committed to improving the health infrastructure in the Northeast region and to providing quality healthcare services to the people of the region.”

The Union Health Minister also stated that the new facilities at NEIGRIHMS will help to attract and retain medical professionals in the Northeast region. Appreciating the work culture and cleanliness in NEIGRIHMS, he said that the government is committed to further develop infrastructure at NEIGRIHMS so that the institute continues to remain a hub for medical treatment, research & training of healthcare & allied healthcare professionals for the Northeast region.

Dr Mandaviya stated that the Union Govt looks at the Health sector through a holistic approach. “We are not only creating new and advanced medical infrastructure. We are also increasing the number of doctors and nursing staff. In the last nine years, the number of medical colleges have doubled in the country. 1,70,000 Health and Wellness Centres have been created across the country. We are also building one Critical Care unit in every district in the country”, he said.

The Union Government has not viewed the health sector in isolation, said the Union Minister, adding that it is not limited to hospitals or clinics but it is a broad subset that needs a holistic approach. Speaking about the significant progress in the health infrastructure, Dr. Mandaviya informed that the number of MBBS seats in the country increased from 50,000 to one lakh seven thousand in just nine years, starting from 2014. For quality education, the National Medical Commission (NMC) was formed.

The Minister highlighted the Ayushman Bhav fortnight that began on the birthday of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. “Health Melas were held every week in all the Health & Wellness Centers (HWCs) and all the medical colleges provided screening, diagnosis, and basic and advanced healthcare services through specialized care, including referrals to tertiary care setup utilizing the existing CHCs.  Different services were planned during the fortnight including screening of common cancers such as oral, cervical and breast. And within a span of 15 days, 70,000 operations were planned, which speaks volumes of the success of the campaign. Through this campaign and medical facilities, the government reached the doorsteps of the common people, he added. 

To ensure quality health, the government aims to develop a health institute of national importance in every state, similar to AIIMS. “It is our plan to develop NEIGRIHMS as an institute of national importance,” said Dr. Mandaviya.

While rest of the countries in the world follow a three layered health system, India boasts of its four-tier system of healthcare that includes ASHA, primary, secondary and tertiary services. ASHAs are at the forefront of the campaign to ensure a healthy India and they have been empowered through skill training, said the Minister. He referred to the post-COVID World Health Assembly where ASHAs were awarded for their best services. They played a key role in the country's response to the prevention and management of the pandemic.

Mentioning about the Pradhan Mantri Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission, the Minister said that through this, the government is focused to strengthen all primary, secondary and tertiary care in preparing health systems in responding effectively  to the current and future pandemics/disasters. He also mentioned that with a budget of around Rs. 64, 000 crore for the country, on an average Rs 100 crore for every district has been earmarked for the next four years.

Dr. Mandaviya opined that the Modi government is a visionary government and spoke on the Heal in India, Heal by India initiative that aims to provide integrated and comprehensive treatment solutions within India, ensuring accessibility to world-class and affordable healthcare services. 

Our culture has taught us that health is not a commerce, health is a service and our modus operandi to address health related issues is different.  The Minister wished everyone a bright future and exhorted all to work hand-in-hand to contribute towards the new India as dreamt by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He also appealed to everyone to make their contributions in their best possible way for making the country a developed nation.

Prof Nalin Mehta said that the new facilities will vastly improve healthcare facilities in NEIGRIHMS and will lead to increase in seats for MBBS and B.Sc. Nursing courses in Meghalaya. He further said that with the improvement of medical facilities in the Northeast region, people will not have to go far to other regions of the country for medical treatment.

The new facilities will provide much-needed healthcare services to the people of the Northeast region. The Regional Cancer Centre is a 252-bedded state-of-the-art facility that will provide comprehensive cancer care services to patients from across the region. The Under-Graduate Medical College will help in providing undergraduate medical education using state-of-the-art technologies to a batch of 100 MBBS students per year. The Nursing College will train nurses to meet the growing demand for nursing professionals in the Northeast region. The Hostels have a total of 416 rooms and will provide accommodation to MBBS Students & Interns. The Modular OT is a state-of-the-art operating theatre in the hospital that will be used for complex surgeries. The New Guest House has a capacity of 28 rooms that will provide accommodation for guests and visitors to NEIGRIHMS.

A key highlight of the new facilities is the virtual autopsy facility at the institute, which is one of the most advanced and sophisticated facilities, available only at a few centres in the country. Virtual autopsy is a non-invasive post-mortem examination that uses medical imaging technology to create a 3D model of the body, which can then be examined by forensic pathologists and other medical professionals.

A 150-bed standalone Critical Care Block facility is being constructed under the Pradhan Mantri – Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM) to treat highly contagious infectious diseases, such as COVID-19. This will help ensure that regular hospital care remains unaffected during such outbreaks.

The inauguration of these new facilities and the laying of the foundation stone of the Critical Care Block are major steps forward in the Government’s efforts to provide quality healthcare to the people of Meghalaya and the entire North East region.