A medical skill ‘Hunar Hub’ to impart training in the field of nursing and paramedics will be set up in Dumindikgre near Babadam in West Garo Hills district.
The foundation stone for construction of the hub, named after former Lok Sabha speaker PA Sangma, was laid by chief minister Conrad Sangma and health minister James Sangma today.
The project, funded by the Ministry of Minority Affairs under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram, is being implemented through the Department of Social Welfare.
The hub is being developed at an estimated cost of around Rs 150 crores. The project includes construction of a 300 bedded multi-specialty hospital comprising one nursing college, a pharmaceutical college, paramedical college and skill development centre in addition to hostels for accommodation.
It is expected that the hub will be a modern state-of-the-art medical facility that will cater to medical skill development and health services not only to the State but neighbouring states as well.
Addressing the gathering at the foundation laying ceremony, the chief minister expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Minister for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi for the prestigious project. He said that the medical training centre has the potential to address the needs of the State’s health care sector for well trained and skilled medical professionals.
He said that the State along with the rest of the country faced challenges due to the Covid 19 in the past three years. The State had to endure shortage of medical staff and nurses due to increased patient intake in health facilities across the State during the pandemic period.
Acknowledging the requirement to take preparatory steps to strengthen the manpower needed to manage similar situations in the future, the present Government had envisioned setting up such medical training facilities in the State, the chief minister informed.
Stating that improving the health care sector in the State is a priority of the present government the chief minister said, “We need to ensure that ample importance is given to the health sector so that in the future we are able to provide proper health services to the people and even if challenges and pandemics like the Covid pandemic that came in…..come in the times ahead, we as a state and a country is prepared to face those challenges”.
Health minister informed the gathering on the various reforms that have been initiated in the health sector to improve the overall health scenario in the State and to ensure healthcare services become available and accessible to people at the grassroots.
He added that the medical Hunar Hub will be a crucial support system for various manpower requirements to successfully fulfill the mandate of ‘Preventive Health Care’ as envisioned under the Meghalaya State Health Policy.
