Shillong, Oct 22: The Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) has written to Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma seeking facilitation of an early meeting with the Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare to resolve issues concerning recruitment practices at NEIGRIHMS.
In a letter to the CM, the KSU recalled that on May 1, 2025 it had staged a sit-in at the central teaching hospital highlighting concerns over recruitment practices, representation of indigenous candidates and employment opportunities for people of Meghalaya. Among its demands were revision of 20:80 male to female nursing ratio, reconsideration of reservation provisions for indigenous tribal communities and conduct of recruitment examinations by NEIGRIHMS itself.
The union said during the agitation, the state government intervened through a delegation led by then cabinet minister Paul Lyngdoh along with other officials who held discussions with the pressure group and NEIGRIHMS authorities. Following this, the KSU temporarily suspended its protest in view of assurances that the state government would facilitate discussions with the Union Health Minister to place its concerns before appropriate authorities at the national level.
However, the KSU said that, despite passage of considerable time, there has been no tangible progress and concerns regarding recruitment practices and representation of local candidates continue to remain serious.
KSU said the Meghalaya government’s role should not be confined to that of mediator between the union and NEIGRIHMS and that it has collective responsibility to actively pursue resolution of issues affecting welfare and employment prospects of people of Meghalaya. It acknowledged NEIGRIHMS is under the central government but said limitations of direct administrative control should not prevent proactive role.
The pressure group has reminded the state government in meetings in August and September this year to facilitate a meeting with the Union Health Minister but still nothing has materialised.
