Shillong, Feb 2: The State Health Department is gearing up for the State budget as Chief Minister Conrad Sangma is all set to present State budget 2021-22 on March. With much focus being laid on Health.

Meghalaya Health Department will seek higher allocation from the State Government as it proposes to focus on various thrust areas and prepare a health road map.

Talking to reporters in Shillong, Health Minister AL Hek said, “The health department under the chairmanship of the principal secretary had set for the meeting and discussed about the health budget so now they are preparing from the state Government for the health budget and definitely we are coming with the good amount of the budget from the state Government also for the benefit of the people at large looking at the importance of the health of the people of our state.”

Right from the Principal Secretary Sampath Kumar to the District Medical and Health officer level, everyone is working on the budget as the main focus remains on giving the thrust for the benefit of the people.

Stating that the health sector budget estimate is yet to be made, Hek said, “With this new budget we can do more better on the strengthening of the health care in the state of Meghalaya…..even as the up-gradation of the health care facilities we are doing now also with fund from the World Bank and prior to world bank also we have received the fund from the tribal affairs Ministry where we have already upgraded and strengthen few PHCs, CHCs and also the sub-centers in our states.”

Asked about the thrust area of the Government, Hek said, “We have so many areas like cancer which is one of the big issues that our state is facing, if we talk about the dialysis problem, a lot of Dialysis infrastructure, facilities have to be in place to help our people.”

“As you are aware that the cancer is an expensive treatment so many people have not been cured, they have sold property due to treatment of cancer patients and other challenges so to curb these challenges the Government is preparing the road map, how to fight these all kind of ailments to help our people,” he said while stressing on the need for infrastructure development.