The Meghalaya Health Systems Strengthening Project (MHSSP) got its own dedicated office space at the Directorate of Health Services complex in Laitumkhrah here.
The office was inaugurated by Health and Family Welfare Minister James PK Sangma, who described the project as one with potential to be a major game changer in bringing about improvements in health indicators and improving the sustainable development goal indicators of Meghalaya.
The five-year MHSSP, for which the state government is receiving World Bank support, was declared operational in November 2021.
It aims to strengthen the overall public health system and improve access to quality healthcare. Its vision is to improve primary and secondary health output parameters by creating “organic integration” between data, health infrastructure, capacity building and community strength. The project development objective is to improve management capacity, quality and utilisation of the state’s health services.
Addressing the gathering, Sangma said that a major problem that government departments face is that they work in silos. However, the MHSSP provides a convergence approach in order to address the critical gaps through effective analysis.
The minister also took stock of the progress and updates on the MHSSP in a meeting with important state level officers and doctors.
A status update on the progress made by the MHSSP was presented to Sangma by the Project Director, Ramkumar S, wherein the activities, components, achievements as well as the roadmap of the MHSSP were highlighted.
The project will also initiate construction of a drone hub in Jengjal, West Garo Hills, among other places, to fill the gaps in the existing public health logistics system and provide efficient service to various hard-to-reach health facilities.
