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Time of India
6 days ago
- Health
- Time of India
Meghalaya CM vows to transform state's healthcare, promises world-class services at first-ever health summit
Shillong: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Monday announced that the state government had taken on the challenge of completely transforming the health sector, aiming to provide world-class medical services within the state itself. He made the declaration while addressing the first-ever Health Summit held in Shillong. The Chief Minister said the health sector in the state had remained neglected for various reasons, but the current government had committed itself to making reforms across the system. "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. The summit was attended by State Health Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh, senior officials, and representatives from various hospitals across the state. The Chief Minister emphasised the government's strong commitment to improving healthcare delivery, saying, "Health is one of the most critical pillars of governance, and for us in Meghalaya, it has remained at the top of our agenda." He highlighted that the summit was focused not just on investments but also on real outcomes. "This summit is not just about numbers but about outcomes--how investments translate into real improvements in the lives of our people," he said. He revealed that Meghalaya currently spends over 8% of its total state budget on healthcare, the highest allocation among Indian states. According to him, this was not just a statistic but proof of the state's priorities. Over the past seven years, the state had launched multiple initiatives to upgrade infrastructure, human resources, technology, and access to care. Sangma informed that when the present government took office in 2018, the state had a backlog of over 500 unfilled doctor posts. Due to prolonged recruitment delays, the government set up the Meghalaya Medical Services Recruitment Board (MMSRB) and filled over 500 posts within three months. During the summit, the Chief Minister and the Health Minister handed over appointment letters to 164 staff nurses, 78 Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANMs), and 181 AYUSH professionals under the National AYUSH Mission. Sangma acknowledged that Primary Health Centres (PHCs), Community Health Centres (CHCs) and Civil Hospitals had previously been in poor condition, but the government had since made significant investments to rebuild and upgrade them. He also said the state had adopted digital transformation to improve delivery. "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 digitized platform," he explained. The government had also streamlined real-time drug supply chains, enabling health centres to raise indents online and ensure continuous supply of essential medicines. "The entire system has been digitized. Today, we know exactly where delays happen and we can resolve issues swiftly," the Chief Minister added. Health Minister Dr. Ampareen Lyngdoh also addressed the gathering, stating, "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 roundtable discussion was held during the day, focusing on emerging technologies, tackling non-communicable diseases like cancer and diabetes, and bridging the urban-rural healthcare gap. A special focus was placed on data-driven public health planning and collaboration between public and not-for-profit healthcare institutions. The summit marked the beginning of what the state government described as a long-term vision to make Meghalaya a healthcare hub in the Northeast.
The Hindu
30-05-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
GVMC readies action plan to check diseases this monsoon season
The Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) has planned several strategies to check seasonal diseases in the city this monsoon season. The civic body has drawn a comprehensive action plan focused on mosquito control, raising people's awareness and improvement in sanitation. Identifying fever hotspots based on history, intensifying anti-larval operations, and initiating widespread fogging and spraying activities are among the key strategies. Chief Medical & Officer of Health (CMoH) Naresh Kumar said that 106 water stagnation points had been identified in the GVMC limits. Sanitation teams are being deployed to monitor such spots and clear water stagnation points, especially during rains. Spraying operations are being carried out in drains across the city, and oil balls will be put in select water bodies to check mosquito breeding. The GVMC has been using drones to spray pesticides in some water bodies. 'While anti-larval measures are already on, we will intensify the operations in anticipation of the rains and the possible outbreak of vector-borne diseases,' Dr. Naresh Kumar said. Augmenting manpower To strengthen the manpower for these intensified operations, the GVMC has proposed the recruitment of an additional 430 personnel. Currently, around 230 workers are engaged in anti-larval operations. The proposal is expected to be reviewed during the upcoming GVMC Council meeting, likely to be held in the first or second week of June. Starting June 15, when educational institutions are scheduled to reopen, fogging and spraying operations will be carried out in all hostels. In general, Visakhapatnam reports dengue cases often when compared to chikungunya and malaria. Last year, a few cases of malaria were reported. However, the number of cases being reported is on the decline, the officials said. Meanwhile, the GVMC officials are preparing to launch awareness campaigns in collaboration with the Health Department, ASHA workers, Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANMs), and sachivalayam staff. A door-to-door surveillance exercise will be rolled out to educate residents in clearing stagnant water, aiming to curb mosquito breeding at the source.
