Shillong, July 9 : Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma on Thursday reviewed the progress of infrastructure works and healthcare services at Baghmara Civil Hospital in South Garo Hills and directed officials to complete all ongoing and proposed projects on priority while ensuring regular monitoring of progress.
The review meeting was attended by Additional Chief Secretary (Health and Family Welfare) Dr Sampath Kumar, the Deputy Commissioner of South Garo Hills and senior officials of the Health and Family Welfare Department.
The Chief Minister was informed that the hospital’s operation theatre, made functional in 2025, has conducted 85 surgeries, including 42 Caesarean sections. The hospital treated 20,108 outpatients and admitted 2,334 inpatients in 2025, while 10,143 outpatients were served during the first half of 2026. The facility also provides emergency obstetric and Caesarean services and operates a transit home for expectant mothers awaiting delivery.
Four hospital projects with a combined sanctioned cost of about Rs 11.37 crore are currently under implementation or tendering. The renovation of the old CHC building, which houses the refurbished outpatient department, has reached 85 per cent completion, while construction of an overhead water tank is 70 per cent complete. Renovation of 25 residential quarters for medical and paramedical staff is under way, and Phase-II development of a 70-bedded hospital is at the tendering stage.
The review also covered plans to establish a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), operationalise a blood bank in phases, expand the transit home for expectant mothers from four to 10-15 beds through a prefabricated structure, and develop a 50-bedded Mother and Child Health wing with Central assistance for public health infrastructure.
The proposed upgradation of Chokpot Community Health Centre into a First Referral Unit with comprehensive emergency obstetric and newborn care, a blood storage unit, a newborn stabilisation unit and round-the-clock referral services was also reviewed. The Chief Minister directed that recruitment of specialists be expedited to strengthen the hospital’s specialist, nursing and paramedical workforce.
Reviewing the progress, the Chief Minister stressed that “these works must translate into reliable, good-quality care for the people of South Garo Hills,” and instructed the Health and Family Welfare Department to pursue all projects on priority and report progress regularly.
