Over 200 newly recruited nurses under the Meghalaya Medical Services Recruitment Board (MMSRB) and 115 staff under the National AYUSH Mission (NAM) were handed appointment letters during the first Meghalaya Health Summit 2025, held here today.
Chief Minister Conrad Sangma who chaired the summit congratulated the recruits and said, “This is more than just a job—it’s a calling. Approach every patient with empathy; your compassion can transform lives.”
Informing that Meghalaya currently allocates over 8 per cent of its total state budget to healthcare, the highest among Indian states, he stated that this is not merely a budgetary statistic but a reflection of the state’s priorities. “Over the past seven years, the government has launched multiple initiatives to improve infrastructure, human resources, technology adoption, and accessibility”, he informed.
Stating that when the present government assumed office in 2018, he said the state faced a backlog of over 500 doctor positions. Due to delays in recruitment through MPSC for over four years, the government decided to establish the Meghalaya Medical Services Recruitment Board (MMSRB), which recruited over 500 doctors within three months, he added.
Health Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh urged new recruits to serve where they’re most needed and called on more youth to pursue nursing, saying, “The world needs more nurses like the ones we have in Meghalaya.”
Principal Secretary Sampath Kumar noted Meghalaya’s pioneering status in both health investment and universal health coverage through the Meghalaya Health Insurance Scheme (MHIS). He also emphasized the role of MMSRB in ensuring transparent and merit-based hiring.
Commissioner & Secretary Dr. Joram Beda said that the MMSRB has successfully conducted three recruitment rounds and affirmed the integrity of the process. “You are products of a fair, free, and transparent system,” he told the new hires.
The summit was organised by the Department of Health &Family Welfare in collaboration with the National Health Mission (NHM) and attended by senior officials, public health experts, and private healthcare stakeholders.
A key highlight was the discussion on the Meghalaya Cancer Action Program, during which Dr. Joram Beda emphasized the potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in enhancing early detection of breast cancer and improving patient outcomes.
Participating hospitals included Dr. H. Gordon Roberts Hospital, Nazareth Hospital, Bethany Hospital, Supercare Hospital, Woodland Hospital, Bansara Eye Clinic, SAN-KER Charitable Trust, Children’s Hospital – all in Shillong and; Dr. Norman Tunnel Hospital (Jowai), St. Joseph Hospital (Nongstoiñ), Makarios Medical Centre (Mairang), Holy Cross Hospital (Tura), Tura Christian Hospital (Tura).
The Chief Minister also launched the Meghalaya State Antibiotic Policy 2025-2026.
