Increased flow of patients prompted Govt decision: Sohtun
Shillong, June 22: In order to accommodate the growing number of patients from Meghalaya seeking treatment at CMC Vellore, the state government has decided to construct a new Meghalaya House at Vellore.
The announcement was made by General Administration Department (GAD) Minister Sosthenes Sohtun after he carried out an inspection of the existing facility along with senior officials on Monday.
“We conducted an inspection and held a review meeting to take decisions regarding the condition of Meghalaya House in Vellore,” Sohtun said.
Stating that the current structure, which is a “very old building”, has around 30 rooms, the Minister said it has been serving patients from Meghalaya who travel to CMC Vellore for specialized treatment for many years.
Noting the steady rise in number of patients, Sohtun said, “The number of patients has increased year after year. In 2025 alone, we have already crossed 212 patients.”
Patients and attendants have expressed satisfaction with the accommodation and services, according to the minister.
Acknowledged the state government’s support measures, he said, “I would like to thank Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma and the Government of Meghalaya for providing free transportation for patients. We have deployed vehicles to ferry patients to and from the hospital in the morning and evening for treatment. This has helped them save significantly on travel costs.”
Citing a recent report by PWD engineers, the Minister said the building’s condition has deteriorated substantially.
“According to the PWD engineer’s report, the condition of the building here at Meghalaya House, Vellore is very poor, and we must take a decision,” Sohtun stated.
As an immediate measure, the government will shift patients to a hired guest house from next month. “We will hire a new guest house to accommodate patients coming from Shillong for treatment at CMC Vellore, and from next month we will shift them there,” he said.
For a long-term solution, the government plans to construct a new Meghalaya House with expanded capacity. “Along with shifting patients, we have also decided to construct a new Meghalaya House in Vellore. We are seeking support and approval from the Planning and Finance departments for the construction of the new building,” the Minister said.
He added that the new facility will significantly increase capacity.
“At present, we have 13 functional rooms. The new building will double or triple the number of rooms so that we can accommodate more patients and attendants at Meghalaya House Vellore,” Sohtun said.
Meghalaya House Vellore serves as transit accommodation for patients and attendants from the state who travel to Tamil Nadu for specialized medical treatment at CMC and other hospitals.
