Shillong: Meghalaya is moving to broaden its healthcare reach. The state will push alternative medicine and telemedicine to help people in remote areas. Officials discussed these plans at a Meghalaya State Investment Promotion Board roundtable in New Delhi on October 22. AIIMS expert Dr. Nand Kumar said the government intends to bolster Ayurveda and traditional tribal therapy schemes. Access is the goal.
Rural areas still face significant infrastructure gaps and shortages of specialists. The state struggles with a rising burden of non-communicable diseases. Experts at the meeting also weighed in on mental health, community medicine, and better nutrition. They believe artificial intelligence can play a bigger role in bridging these gaps. The session, led by MSIPB Executive Chairman Ram Mohan Mishra, sought actionable ways to improve health outcomes.
Rajesh Kumar of the Society for Promotion of Youth and Masses supports the shift. He noted that moving toward alternative medicine offers a practical path forward for the state. “Treatment and preventive measures under alternative medical systems are quite cost effective and simple for the vast masses,” he said. Meghalaya already commits a large slice of its budget to health. It recently saw sharp drops in maternal and infant mortality rates over the last five years.
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