Health and Family Welfare Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh visited Shillong Civil Hospital today and took stock of the infrastructure requirements and needs of the public hospital.
She conducted a review meeting with officials and it was decided that the work at the hospital requires immediate intervention and the engineering wing has been instructed to prepare a project for this purpose.
Additionally, the contractual staff at the Civil Hospital, particularly those recently discontinued under the emergency staff category, need immediate attention due to the vital facilities in the dialysis unit, the operating theatre unit and the blood bank unit, which require urgent replacement to ensure the hospital’s efficient operation.
The Medical Superintendent and Surgeon Superintendent informed the minister about the immediate need for hostel facilities for nurses and the need to expand trauma centres and ICU. Lyngdoh said she will address these matters with the competent authorities.
Earlier, Lyngdoh inspected the Wellness Centre at Nongmensong where she noted the urgent need to upgrade the facilities due to the importance of the interventions required in the area.
She was accompanied on the visit by local MDC (and her husband) Fantin Lakadong and senior health officials as well as representatives of the Dorbar Shnong and ASHA workers.
It was noticed that, in recent years, much like in other localities and areas around Shillong city, there is a pressing need to address the growing drug problems in Nongmensong, where there is also a need to stimulate discussions on health and drug-related issues.
Vaccination coverage in the area is only 57 percent and moves to get more children immunised will be intensified. The centre also must address increasing cases of non-communicable diseases. There was a consensus that tuberculosis should be addressed on a larger scale, with a focus on raising awareness among the citizens so that they understand that tuberculosis is now a treatable disease.
