Shillong, July 9 (IANS). Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma on Thursday directed officials to expeditiously complete all the ongoing and proposed infrastructure works at Baghmara Civil Hospital in South Garo Hills. He said that these projects should be completed on priority basis, so that the people of the district can get reliable and better health services.
Chief Minister Sangma reviewed the upgradation work of the hospital with senior officials of the Health and Family Welfare Department. He said that every part of the project should be closely monitored and there should not be any delay in the work.
He also directed the department to speed up the recruitment process of specialist doctors and strengthen the nursing and paramedical staff in the hospital, so that health services can be improved.
During the review meeting, the officials told the Chief Minister that so far 85 surgeries have been performed in the operation theater which started in the year 2025, which includes 42 caesarean operations.
The hospital treated 20,108 out-patients (OPD) and admitted 2,334 patients during the year 2025. At the same time, services were provided to 10,143 out-patients in the first six months of 2026. This shows that the number of patients in the hospital is continuously increasing.
The hospital currently has emergency obstetric services and caesarean operation facilities. Apart from this, a transit home is also being run for pregnant women to stay before delivery.
Officials said work on four major infrastructure projects worth about Rs 11.37 crore is underway or in the tender process.
These projects include renovation of the old community health center building, construction of a water tank, renovation of 25 residential quarters for medical staff and proposed second phase expansion for the development of a 70-bed hospital.
The Chief Minister also reviewed the schemes of many new health facilities. These include expansion of neonatal intensive care unit, blood bank, transit home for pregnant women and construction of a 50-bed integrated maternal and child health wing with the support of the public health infrastructure program of the central government.
Chief Minister Sangma also reviewed the proposal to upgrade Chokpot Community Health Center as First Referral Unit. It is planned to provide facilities for emergency obstetric and neonatal care, blood storage unit, neonatal stabilization unit and 24-hour referral services.
The Chief Minister reiterated that all these investments are aimed at providing easily accessible, reliable and better quality health services to the people of South Garo Hills.
–IANS
AMT/DKP