Shillong: The Centre has sanctioned Rs 280 crore for setting up of an undergraduate MBBS medical college, a nursing college and a regional cancer centre at the prestigious North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences here, Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad today said.
"The three projects are in their final stages and will commence very soon. They will improve the capacity set-up of the institute in providing quality and affordable healthcare to the region," he said at the inauguration of the first `Indira Gandhi Oration` at NEIGRIHMS.
He said an amount of Rs 280 crore has been sanctioned on these facilities to address the shortage of manpower in the health sector as well as to ensure better health facilities to the people.
According to Azad, this is an after-thought step taken by the Centre and with the setting up of the cancer centre to be equipped with state-of-the-art facilities such as latest diagnostic equipment will to a great extent draw towards fulfilling the utmost needs of the people of the region.
The government has under the NRHM sanctioned Rs 5970 crore for strengthening health infrastructure right from the district community health centres, primary health centres to sub-centres in the northeast.
For Meghalaya in particular, Azad said a total amount of "Rs 421 crore was sanctioned under which 51 new community health centres have been funded while 17 existing ones have been renovated and upgraded".
Apart from Meghalaya, the Centre has sanctioned Rs 3901 crore for Assam, Rs 405 crore for Arunachal Pradesh, Rs 314 crore for Manipur, Rs 69 crore for Nagaland, Rs 64 crore for Sikkim and Rs 544 crore for Tripura, Azad informed.
"Besides, the Centre also targeted the patients coming from the below poverty line (BPL) background," he said. On the demand put forth by NEIGRIHMS authority to give autonomous status to the institute through an act of Parliament, he said, "The recognition process is already on the pipeline," adding, "The Medical Council of India is doing its own exercise towards this end."
However, Azad hinted that the reason for the delay is due to the fact that the institute is yet to be equipped with requirements such as faculty which he said that the government is trying its best to ensure that the institute has all accessories.
Earlier, in his speech, Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma emphasised on the need to increased investment by partnering with private players in the health sector to meet the demand and supply gap.
"Investment in larger scale is need of the hour as we embarked on new initiatives to boost the healthcare facilities in the region," he said, adding, "This will not only help in producing qualified doctors, nurses and paramedic staffs but will to a great extent make health facilities accessible and affordable to the people of all sections."
Later, Azad also presented certificates and awards to the first batch of MBBS students who successfully completed their courses from NEIGRIHMS.
Apart from Meghalaya, the Centre has sanctioned Rs 3901 crore for Assam, Rs 405 crore for Arunachal Pradesh, Rs 314 crore for Manipur, Rs 69 crore for Nagaland, Rs 64 crore for Sikkim and Rs 544 crore for Tripura, Azad informed.
"Besides, the Centre also targeted the patients coming from the below poverty line (BPL) background," he said.
On the demand put forth by NEIGRIHMS authority to give autonomous status to the institute through an act of Parliament, he said, "The recognition process is already on the pipeline," adding, "The Medical Council of India is doing its own exercise towards this end."
However, Azad hinted that the reason for the delay is due to the fact that the institute is yet to be equipped with requirements such as faculty which he said that the government is trying its best to ensure that the institute has all accessories.
Earlier, in his speech, Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma emphasised on the need to increased investment by partnering with private players in the health sector to meet the demand and supply gap.
"Investment in larger scale is need of the hour as we embarked on new initiatives to boost the healthcare facilities in the region," he said, adding, "This will not only help in producing qualified doctors, nurses and paramedic staffs but will to a great extent make health facilities accessible and affordable to the people of all sections."
Later, Azad also presented certificates and awards to the first batch of MBBS students who successfully completed their courses from NEIGRIHMS.
PTI
