SHILLONG, SEPT 15: In a major push for last-mile healthcare, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Tuesday launched three Mobile Medical Units (MMUs) in Shillong to serve over two lakh people across 93 villages.
The MMUs, supported by Altius under its CSR initiative and implemented by Apollo Foundation – Total Health, will cover Mawpat (45 villages) and Pynursla (26 villages) in East Khasi Hills, and Baghmara (22 villages) in South Garo Hills.
Each unit is staffed with doctors and trained personnel and equipped for primary care, basic diagnostics, EMR services and medicines, besides referral support to higher facilities.
A key focus will be prevention, screening and management of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), along with targeted interventions like cancer screening and vision care.
Launching the units, Sangma said his government has prioritised social sectors since 2018.
“While infrastructure and GDP are important, it is meaningless if the benefits cannot reach every citizen. That is why health and education have been given top priority,” the Chief Minister said.
He said Meghalaya was at the bottom in health and education when his government took over, and technology was leveraged to identify gaps and create focused solutions.
Stressing on outcomes, Sangma said, “Launching the ambulance is the easiest part. The real happiness will come when we save lives. This launching will be meaningless if at the end of the day it is lying in some parking lot.”
“It’s not about the Foundation, not about the ambulance, not about the doctors – it’s about the patient and the lives that we save. This will be a major game changer for last-mile healthcare delivery in Meghalaya,” he added.
The Chief Minister also flagged the need for stronger digital connectivity to support tech-enabled health interventions.
Altius and Apollo Foundation – Total Health reaffirmed their commitment to strengthen the state’s public health system.
