Meghalaya to spend Rs 75 crore to improve infrastructure of health centres

Shillong: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said on Thursday that the government will invest Rs 75 crore to strengthen the infrastructure of 186 public health centres, amid rising coronavirus cases in the state.

The government will start renovating the public and community health centres at the earliest, he said.

"We have decided to invest roughly about Rs 75 crore in PHCs and CHCs to improve their infrastructure, including power and water supplies, last mile connectivity and quarters of the staffers and doctors," Sangma said.

There are some primary health centres which have not been renovated for the past 25 years, he said, adding that the government is focusing on improving infrastructure of these facilities in rural areas and will invest more for the purpose.

The health department has been asked to come out with a detailed estimate for renovation of the centres across the state, he said.

"I am hopeful that we should be able to start the first phase of the entire process of renovation of the PHCs and CHCs in the next 30 days, and I am confident that we will be able to complete this work within this financial year," the chief minister said.

The government will focus on strengthening the health sub-centres and the existing civil hospitals in the second phase of the programme, Sangma said.

The COVID-19 tally in Meghalaya on Thursday rose to 534 with 19 people, including 13 BSF personnel, testing positive for the disease.

Health Services director Aman War said, "There are 452 active COVID-19 in the state, while 78 people have recovered from the disease and four died of it.