Shillong, June 16 : Meghalaya is making significant strides in its healthcare sector, marked by the inaugural Meghalaya Health Summit 2025 held today at the State Convention Centre in Shillong. Chaired by Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma, the event brought together senior officials, public health experts, and private healthcare stakeholders to deliberate on transforming the state’s health landscape.
A key highlight of the summit was the Chief Minister’s distribution of appointment letters to 164 staff nurses, 78 Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANMs) under the Meghalaya Medical Services Recruitment Board (MMSRB), and 181 AYUSH professionals under the National AYUSH Mission. Congratulating the new recruits, CM Sangma emphasized the profound impact of their role, stating, “This is more than just a job—it’s a calling. Approach every patient with empathy; your compassion can transform lives.”
During the day, the Chief Minister also officially launched the Meghalaya State Antibiotic Policy 2025-2026, a crucial step in promoting responsible antibiotic use.
Meghalaya now allocates an impressive 8% of its total state budget to health, the highest allocation among Indian states. This reflects a nearly six-fold increase in the state’s health budget since 2010, soaring from ₹300 crore to ₹1,700 crore in 2023. These substantial investments have been directed towards improving infrastructure, medical equipment, IT systems, storage, logistics, and real-time monitoring of supplies across Primary Health Centres (PHCs), Community Health Centres (CHCs), sub-centres, and district hospitals.
Chief Minister Sangma highlighted a pivotal reform undertaken in 2018 when the government, facing a shortage of doctors, successfully recruited 500 medical professionals in just three months following cabinet approval. “Our aim is clear—no resident should need to go outside Meghalaya for treatment,” he affirmed. “We’re working to make our healthcare system a regional and international hub, while also inviting private sector partnerships to strengthen rural services.”
Health Minister Dr. Ampareen Lyngdoh urged the newly recruited healthcare professionals to serve where their skills are most needed and encouraged more young people to consider nursing as a career path, noting, “The world needs more nurses like the ones we have in Meghalaya.”
Principal Secretary Dr. Sampath Kumar, IAS, underscored Meghalaya’s pioneering role in both health investment and universal health coverage through the Meghalaya Health Insurance Scheme (MHIS). He also praised the MMSRB for ensuring transparent and merit-based hiring processes. Commissioner & Secretary Dr. Joram Beda, IAS, affirmed the integrity of MMSRB’s three successful recruitment rounds, telling new hires, “You are products of a fair, free, and transparent system.”
The summit also featured a technical session and a roundtable discussion with private hospitals, led by the Chief Minister, to explore avenues for stronger public-private collaboration to enhance healthcare quality statewide. A notable discussion point was the Meghalaya Cancer Action Program, where Dr. Joram Beda highlighted the significant potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in improving early detection of breast cancer and patient outcomes.
Participating hospitals included prominent institutions from Shillong such as Dr. H. Gordon Roberts Hospital, Nazareth Hospital, Bethany Hospital, Supercare Hospital, Woodland Hospital, Bansara Eye Clinic, and SAN-KER Charitable Trust, along with The Children’s Hospital. Hospitals from other districts, including Dr. Norman Tunnel Hospital (Jowai), St. Joseph Hospital (Nongstoiñ), Makarios Medical Centre (Mairang), Holy Cross Hospital (Tura), and Tura Christian Hospital (Tura), also contributed to the discussions.
