Department of Information and Public Relations

Press Release No. 68/10

UPA CHAIRPERSON DEDICATES NEIGRIHMS TO THE NATION

The Chairperson of the UPA and President of AICC, Smti. Sonia Gandhi today dedicated to the Nation, the North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS) at Mawdiangdiang, Shillong. She was accompanied by the Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare and President of the Governing Body of NEIGRIHMS, Shri. Ghulam Nabi Azad, Meghalaya Chief Minister Dr. D D Lapang, Shri Vincent Pala Union Minister of State for Water Resources, officials of NEIGRIHMS besides senior state government officials.

Addressing the gathering at the NEIGRIHMS auditorium, Smti. Gandhi said that with the dedication of NEIGRIHMS, the dream of former Prime Minister late Rajiv Gandhi to provide the people of Northeast with access to affordable medical care is being realized. Pointing out the lack of some faculties and other related facilities in the Institute, Smti. Gandhi assured that the Central Government will actively looked into the problems and will strive to render all necessary support to ensure that the Institute could achieve the purpose for which it was set up. Stating that the priority of the UPA Government is to provide the best public health care facility to the people, Smti. Gandhi informed that the UPA Government had launched its flagship programme, the National Rural Health Mission to upgrade and expand healthcare facilities and added that soon a similar programme will also be launched for the urban masses.

Reminding that diseases like Tuberculosis, Malaria, HIV/AIDS, Cancer are public health challenges, the existence of Institutes like NEIGRIHMS with it research facilities will go a long way in providing right and curative treatment to such patients besides providing correct information, education and communication to the people on how to take care of themselves, said Smti. Gandhi.

Earlier the Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Shri. Ghulam Nabi Azad informed that NEIGHRIMS was established at the cost of Rs. 422 crores and when fully functional the Institute will have 35 specialities and super specialities departments. With the aim of improving the health care system throughout the country, Shri. Azad said that more medical colleges will be established in the North East and the country as a whole and said that special concession have been put in place for the North Eastern region so as to attract private investors to set medical colleges here. He further added that a few dozen nursing schools will be established in the next two years and Meghalaya has been identified as one of the states where such nursing schools will be set up. He further informed that Rs. 67.05 crores has been earmarked for the establishment of a herbal institute under the Department of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH) within the premises of NEIGHRIMS.

The Chief Minister of Meghalaya, Dr D.D.Lapang, in his brief address, drew attention to the shortcomings of the Institute such as the non-filling up of sanctioned posts of specialized medical personnel and the need for the establishment of a Cancer wing in the NEIGHRIMS.

Later in the day, Smti. Gandhi formally inaugurated the Don Bosco Centre for Indigenous Cultures (DBCIC) at Mawlai, Shillong. It is worth mentioning that the DBCIC is the largest in Asia to showcase the indigenous cultures and heritage.

Lauding the Salesian Brothers of the Catholic Church for their dedicated service in the field of education and other social services, she expressed hope that the museum will emerge as one of the academic centre in the North East Region which will act as a channel in strengthening the bond of brotherhood of the North East people.