Region's top medical institute takes off

SHILLONG, August 7: After remaining in cold-storage for the last 14 years, the Northeastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS) is back on the rails. The long delayed autonomous institute, the foundation of which was laid by late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1986 and which was on the verge of being scuttled, is now likely to see the light of day. The Union Health Minister, CP Thakur is scheduled to lay the foundation stone of the constructions of the institute at its permanent site at Mawdiang-diang, about six kilometres from here, at 11.45 am tomorrow. "The long delay has come as a blessing in disguise as the entire concept of the Institute has been changed to make it a super speciality institute destined to emerge as the hub of health infrastructure in the entire north-eastern region", the Institute director, A K Barooah told newsmen here last evening. The original proposal for the Institute was for Rs 71.18 crore with only 19 super specialities. The new conceptual plan prepared by Barooah aims at establishing a specialised and advanced health care system and envisages a post-graduate Institute with 35 teaching disciplines in different specialities and super specialities at the revised estimate of Rs 422.60 crore. "The actual construction work at the 306 acre campus will be started as soon as the monsoon is over," assured Barooah. He claimed that the first phase of the Institute which will be a self-contained township with all modern facilities, will be commissioned within about two years. Designed as a post-graduate medical institute in the model of AIIMS, New Delhi and PGIMER, Chandigarh, NEIGRIHMS is the first and the only post-graduate medical institute in the region and the third in the country established by the Union Ministry of Health. Barooah expressed grave concern at the acute shortage of both health infrastructure and manpower in the region when compared to national norms. Citing an example, he said, Meghalaya has only one doctor for a population of 4,758 as against the national average of 2,083. With the region facing even greater shortage of post-graduate medical teachers, Barooah is facing a uphill task to find "qualified" teachers for the institute." Our advertisements in national newspapers looking for teachers has been fruitless. "He informed", We are now offering a package of 13-14 incentives including free furnished accommodation valued at up to Rs 1 lakh to attract 'teachers' to the institute.