Shillong, May 21: As part of the government’s initiative to strengthen the state’s health sector by aiding not-for-profit hospitals, chief minister Conrad K Sangma on Wednesday handed over the first instalment of ₹1 crore under Meghalaya Healthcare Advancement Policy (MHAP) to Dr Norman Tunnel Hospital at Jowai.
A total of Rs 10 crore – Rs 2 crore each to every hospital – has been earmarked under the scheme for five not-for-profit hospitals.
The remaining Rs 1 crore will be released to the hospital upon submission of utilisation certificate for the first instalment.
Elaborating on the government’s effort to strengthen its long-term partnership with mission hospitals, the chief minister said, “This is not a one-time gesture, but the beginning of a lasting collaboration. The scheme is flexible — institutions can decide what’s most urgently needed and utilise the funds.”
Charing the function, Rev S Lamare expressed gratitude to the government for the support and sought continued assistance for infrastructure and nursing education.
The hospital’s medical superintendent Dr D Nongpluh stressed the urgent need for a renal dialysis unit, citing the rise in non-communicable diseases.
Meanwhile, the chief minister announced the plan to host a state-level healthcare conference to foster collaboration among government, mission institutions, and healthcare stakeholders.
“We must move forward together — to share ideas, bridge gaps, and serve better,” he said.
He also informed that sustained intervention in health sector, including special thrust to address the high maternal mortality rate, has yielded result, with MMR reduction of over 45%, bringing it down to the national average.
“…this success is largely attributed to initiatives like the cm safe motherhood scheme, which ensures real-time monitoring of every pregnant mother in the state,” he added.
He informed that the government is using technology to monitor and track high-risk pregnancies, including addressing concerns in real time.
