Maternal deaths down by 56%, infant deaths by 40%
Shillong, Aug 28: Over 1,000 beds have been added to government hospitals and nearly Rs 750 crore invested in Meghalaya’s health system in the past five years, Health Minister Wailadmiki Shylla told the Assembly on Friday.
The investment has resulted in higher footfall, with patient numbers rising from 17 lakh in 2017-18 to 25 lakh in 2025-26, recording a 46.8% jump, Shylla said in reply to a number of questions on the health sector.
He also mentioned that the increase in Meghalaya Health Insurance Scheme (MHIS) beneficiaries by 60% shows growing public trust.
On the mother and child health programme, Shylla said the state has spent Rs 120 crore in four years, more than the Centre’s Rs 110 crore. With MHIS, the total goes up to Rs 170 crore.
The minister highlighted that under the CM Safe Motherhood Scheme, women and children now get unlimited free transport — over one lakh trips a year — against the earlier norm of only covering delivery trips.
To counter reluctance among women to come to facilities due to childcare concerns, transit homes have been set up where they can bring their children.
ASHAs and traditional attendants are also incentivised with Rs 1,000 per delivery.
“Our maternal deaths have gone down by 56% — first in the history of our state — our infant deaths by 40% from 2021 data,” Shylla claimed.
He said the Mother App now tracks every pregnant woman till the village level and MHIS is being made cashless.
By March 2027, he said, the state will have 121 PHCs, 35 CHCs and 700 sub-centres, exceeding national norms, and currently has the highest number of First Referral Units.
He credited village councils for building over 100 sub-centres, with 150 more in the pipeline.
On manpower, the minister said 400 medical officers were recruited in one go through the Meghalaya Medical Services Recruitment Board and over 300 nurses appointed on contract, besides strengthening housekeeping staff in district hospitals.
As many as 115 doctors were trained in Tamil Nadu through six-month certificate courses in maternal and child health to address the shortage of specialists.
The department is also training traditional birth attendants to spot danger signs and involving village councils and faith-based groups in antenatal and postnatal care to improve institutional deliveries, he added.
