Meghalaya Govt’s schemes reduced Maternal mortality by 50% and infant mortality by 30%: CM

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaFebruary 21, 2024

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said that an amount of Rs. 1,970 crores including an allocation of Rs. 173 crore for the MHIS program is allocating for the overall strengthening of health systems for the financial year 2024-25.

Sangma informed during the placing of the Meghalaya State Budget on Wednesday.

The Chief Minister said the MOTHER program has become a beacon of hope for over 3 lakh pregnant and lactating mothers while through the Chief Minister’s Safe Motherhood Scheme, the Government have the operationalized 140 transit homes and vehicles, ensuring accessible and quality care during childbirth and he also added the two schemes together have reduced maternal mortality by 50% and infant mortality by 30%.

Sangma said that 96 health facilities have been upgraded, 377 subcentres have been solarized and twenty Community Health Centres are being converted to First Referral Units with a capability of conducting Emergency Caesarean sections.

Continuing the infrastructure development efforts the Chief Minister informed that a comprehensive 3-year mission to revamp all health facilities in the State will be launched from 2024-25 with an investment of Rs 500 crore where in the first phase, the Civil Hospitals in all the district headquarters and 100 other facilities will be prioritized.

He also said the government has empowered the Health Department to flexibly recruit about 300 nurses and technicians and this will ensure that critical health services like ICUs and blood storage units can be operationalized.

Radical reforms have been undertaken to streamline the procurement and delivery of drugs and medical equipment through the setting up of Meghalaya Medical Drugs and Services Ltd, the Chief Minister said that the overall drug procurement cost of the State is expected to come down by 45% this year due to improved efficiency and transparency.  He also said that an amount of Rs 100 crores is allocating for procurement of drugs, equipment, and services in 2024-25 while further added that essential drugs list will be notified at the facility level and the information will be made available to citizens online.

The Chief Minister informed that they launched the Megh Can Care program in East Khasi Hills to screen every individual who is 30 years and above for various types of cancer. He also said that over 50,000 people have been screened last year alone and they aim to cover about 1,00,000 people this year. “To take this initiative to other districts, I am allocating a budget of Rs 10 crore,” he added.