Center looks at Health sector through holistic approach: Mandaviya

Union health minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Saturday said that the Union Govt looks at the Health sector through a holistic approach. “We are not only creating new and advanced medical infrastructure. We are also increasing the number of doctors and nursing staff. In the last nine years, the number of medical colleges have doubled in the country. 1,70,000 Health and Wellness Centres have been created across the country. We are also building one Critical Care unit in every district in the country”, said Mandaviya, while inaugurating new facilities at North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS) in Shillong, Meghalaya.

Mr Mandaviya inaugurated a new Regional Cancer Centre, a new Under-Graduate Medical College, New Building of Nursing College, Hostels, Virtual Autopsy and New Guest House at NEIGRIHMS. He also laid the foundation stone for a 150-bed Critical Care Block at the institute.

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, Mr Mandaviya said, “the new facilities at NEIGRIHMS will provide much-needed healthcare services to the people of the Northeast region. The Central Government is committed to improving the health infrastructure in the Northeast region and to providing quality healthcare services to the people of the region.”

The Union Health Minister said the new facilities at NEIGRIHMS will help to attract and retain medical professionals in the Northeast region. Appreciating the work culture and cleanliness in NEIGRIHMS, he said that the government is committed to further develop infrastructure at NEIGRIHMS so that the institute continues to remain a hub for medical treatment, research & training of healthcare & allied healthcare professionals for the Northeast region.

A key highlight of the new facilities is the virtual autopsy facility at the institute, which is one of the most advanced and sophisticated facility, available only at few centres in the country. Virtual autopsy is a non-invasive post-mortem examination that uses medical imaging technology to create a 3D model of the body, which can then be examined by forensic pathologists and other medical professionals.

A 150-bed standalone Critical Care Block facility is being constructed under the Pradhan Mantri – Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM) to treat highly contagious infectious diseases, such as COVID-19.