Photo Courtesy: nenews
Shillong: Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma opened the new Maternal and Child Health Hospital in Nongstoin on Thursday. The project cost Rs 31.05 crore. Minister Methodius Dkhar and MLAs Gabriel Wahlang and R.G. Momin joined him. West Khasi Hills struggles with high maternal and infant mortality rates. This facility ends the need to transfer sick newborns and mothers to Shillong.
The hospital packs in an emergency unit, labour room, ICU, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, operation theatre, and laboratory. A PSA oxygen plant cost an additional Rs 0.37 crore. Officials also proposed a District Early Intervention Centre to screen children for disabilities. The hospital was a direct result of the CM Connect programme, which highlights local concerns.
Sangma praised the initiative. He called it, "maybe one of the best forms of democracy that we can have." He also felicitated the local landowner who donated the site. IDBI Bank provided an ambulance for the facility under its CSR program to assist with urgent medical transport.
The Chief Minister broke ground on several other local infrastructure projects. These include a new DIET building, the Golden Jubilee Garden, and a Rs 22.27-crore road connecting Sohpian and Nongstoin. He noted that road investments hitting Nongstoin now total Rs 498.31 crore. Sangma urged local officials to work hard. He told them, "Don't take your position for granted. God has given you this opportunity. 10 seconds of your time can change somebody's life. Be the change you want to see."
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