Shillong, June 16 (IANS) Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma on Monday said that the state government has taken up the challenge of transforming the health sector in the state.

He said that the health sector had remained neglected for various reasons, but the government has taken on the responsibility to address the situation through reforms in the sector.

“Our objective is that anybody who requires medical attention should not have to go outside the state. The health sector will be transformed in such a manner that citizens of the state, the region, and neighbouring countries will look to Meghalaya for their treatment. It is a big target, but we have set our goals and prepared ourselves for the task. It is a long journey—let us set our targets clearly, let us invest, and create an ecosystem. Health is not just the state government’s responsibility; other stakeholders also play an important role,” Sangma said while addressing the first-ever Health Summit, held in Shillong.

Health Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh and stakeholders, including representatives from different hospitals across the state, attended the health summit.

Speaking on the government’s commitment to strengthening healthcare delivery and outcomes, the Chief Minister said, “Health is one of the most critical pillars of governance, and for us in Meghalaya, it has remained at the top of our agenda”. “This summit is not just about numbers but about outcomes—how investments translate into real improvements in the lives of our people,” he added.

Informing that Meghalaya currently allocates over 8 per cent of its total state budget to healthcare, the highest among Indian states, the CM stated that this is not merely a budgetary statistic but a reflection of the state’s priorities.

“Over the past seven years, the government has launched multiple initiatives to improve infrastructure, human resources, technology adoption, and accessibility,” he informed. Stating that when the present government assumed office in 2018, the state faced a backlog of over 500 doctor positions. Due to delays in recruitment through MPSC for over four years, the government decided to establish the Meghalaya Medical Services Recruitment Board (MMSRB), which recruited over 500 doctors within three months.

During Monday’s Summit, the Chief Minister and Health Minister handed over appointment letters to 164 staff nurses and 78 Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANMs) and 181 AYUSH professionals under the National AYUSH Mission.

Acknowledging that many health facilities — PHCs, CHCs, and Civil Hospitals — were previously in disrepair, the CM informed that over the last few years, significant investments have been made to improve their condition, with a focus on building a robust and responsive health infrastructure.

“Digital transformation has been a key enabler. Benefits for ASHAs, previously delayed due to paperwork, are now processed and disbursed within a week through a digitised platform,” Sangma stated. The government has also streamlined real-time inventory and drug supply chains, allowing health facilities to raise indents online and ensure uninterrupted availability of essential medicines.

“The entire system has been digitised. Today, we know exactly where delays happen and we can resolve issues swiftly,” the Chief Minister added.

Meanwhile, Health Minister Dr Ampareen Lyngdoh said, “This Health Summit marks a paradigm shift in how we approach healthcare—not just as a public service, but as a shared responsibility involving government, civil society, and the private sector.”

A round table discussion with stakeholders was held throughout the day, wherein issues related to emerging technologies, non-communicable diseases like cancer and diabetes, and strategies to bridge urban-rural healthcare divides were discussed. A notable highlight was the call for data-driven public health planning and stronger collaboration between public institutions and not-for-profit healthcare providers.

–IANS

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