The Union Minister of Ayush and Ports, Shipping & Waterways Shri Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurated six new buildings as part of the Project II of North Eastern Institute of Ayurveda & Homoeopathy (NEIAH) to expand capacity. The cost of the construction of these new buildings is estimated at more than 60 crores.
Speaking on the occasion, the Shri Sonowal said that expansion of this premier institute can play an instrumental role in furthering the role of traditional medicine in the region. We see huge role of integrative medicine in the healthcare solutions delivery system of the country in the forthcoming years. The investment made by the government through these new buildings will embolden our effort to rejuvenate traditional medicine in this region of the country. The Minister also announced NEIAH will be starting its ambulance services soon.
Speaking about the role of Northeast’s role in traditional medicine, Sarbananda Sonowal added, “Our northeast is blessed by Mother Earth whose natural bounty has helped us heal for many generations. We simply want to take this process forward so that it can help many more people and help them live a better quality of life. The vision of PM Modi ji is to develop a healthcare delivery system which is effective and efficient. With the continuous impetus to build and expand capacity for research and build a scientific base for traditional medicine, I believe the six new buildings inaugurated today will play a crucial role for NEIAH towards the achievement of this objective.”
NEIAH has witnessed a steady growth in patients as more and more people are experiencing better results at the hospital. In FY2022-23, the hospital saw footfall of 52,088 patients in its OPD clinics while 504 patients were admitted as IPD patients for healing & recovery. In Ayurveda, NEIAH saw a footfall of 36,683 patients at the OPD clinics as well as 482 patients got admitted at the IPD section of the university. In Homoeopathy, the footfall in its OPD clinics were 19,397 patients while 22 patients got themselves admitted under it. As many as 35 health camps& 4 CMEs (Continuing Medical Education)were conducted by NEIAH during the same period.
The Six new buildings will have a boys hostel with a capacity to accommodate 104 occupants, a girls hostel with a capacity to accommodate 104 occupants, 8 units of Type III quarter, 6 units of Type IVA Quarter, 7 units of Type IVB cum Director’s Residence, a senior resident hostel with 25 units, and a guest house with 19 rooms & 2 suites. The buildings were made with an estimated cost of ₹60.16 crores.
The event was also attended by Guests of Honour, viz. Dr Mazel Ampareen Lyngdoh, Health & Family Welfare Minister, Govt. Of Meghalaya as well as AL Hek, Minister of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary, Govt. of Meghalaya. Prof. Prabha Shankar Shukla, Vice Chancellor, North Eastern Hill University (NEHU); Prof(Dr) Nalin Mehta, Director, North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health & Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS) and Dr Neeta Mahesekar, Director, NEIAH also attended the event.
In the academics, NEIAH has already enrolled six undergraduate batches into Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine & Surgery (BAMS) and Bachelor of Homeopathic Medicine & Surgery (BHMS). From 50 students in 2016-17, the intake of students has now been increased to 63 per batch. The courses are affiliated to North Eastern Hill University (NEHU), Shillong, Meghalaya