The Business Bytes
TBB BUREAU
NEW DELHI, AUG 11, 2023
Signalling its commitment to improve the state’s healthcare services and address the skills gap in the healthcare sector, the Government of Arunachal Pradesh (GoAP) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Sir Ganga Ram Hospital and Religare Group’s CSR arm Religare Care Foundation (RCF) in Itanagar today.
In the presence of Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu, Health Minister Alo Libang, Chief Secretary Dharmendra, Secretary (Health & FW) Liyon Borang, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital Director – Medical Dr Satendra Katoch and Religare Enterprises Ltd Executive Chairperson Dr Rashmi Saluja signed the MoU.
Under the MoU, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital and its partner Religare Care Foundation (RCF) will offer technical assistance to GoAP to strengthen the hill state’s tertiary healthcare systems and infrastructure.
The government and the advisory team have already chosen their initial project for collaboration. They will establish a Centre of Excellence for Renal Sciences at the Tomo Riba Institute of Health & Medical Sciences (TRIHMS).
Arunachal Pradesh Government under the leadership of the Chief Minister has demonstrated a strong commitment to promoting various development initiatives related to healthcare, education and sports in the state.
Expressing happiness at the association, the Chief Minister said, “The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) is a step forward to fulfil the vision of providing affordable, accessible and equitable Health care services to the people of Arunachal Pradesh. It is an endeavour of the Government to bring the best of the tertiary health care services near to home thereby reducing the cost and also the psychological trauma the family has to go through for seeking such medical care. By joining hands with Sir Ganga Ram Hospital and Religare group, we look forward to bringing about changes that positively impact the lives of the people and also the entire Health care landscape of the State.”
“In the first phase of the partnership, the Group will assist us in establishing a state-of-the-art healthcare facility dedicated to renal sciences and related research. This facility will ensure that patients requiring dialysis or kidney transplants receive the same level of care as those in other parts of the country. Moreover, healthcare professionals in the state will receive appropriate training to enhance their skills and bring them in line with their counterparts in leading states with superior healthcare facilities,” informed Health Minister Libang.
Commenting on the occasion, Religare Enterprises Ltd Executive Chairperson Dr Rashmi Saluja said, “We would like to express our gratitude to Honourable Chief Minister Shri Pema Khandu Ji for giving us this opportunity. This collaboration will greatly enhance the state’s healthcare infrastructure and contribute to the professional development of healthcare practitioners. We believe that this partnership will give us a unique opportunity to serve the people of Arunachal Pradesh and make the state the healthcare services hub in the North East.”
The state government has been working towards improving the healthcare services and addressing the skills gap in the state. The state has been able to address the skills gap in the healthcare sector with the significant reduction from 34 percent to 6 percent in the last five years.
The state also boasts a workforce of over 8,000 healthcare professionals, including doctors, paramedics, pharmacists, nurses, and more. These skilled individuals work in over 500 government health centres across the state.
Additionally, the state benefits from various central government Schemes such as Ayushman Bharat and the North East Special Infrastructure Development Scheme (NESIDS). Through Ayushman Bharat, the state has seen the establishment of health and wellness centres and dispensaries, which have greatly enhanced healthcare services.
Dr Ajay Swaroop, Chairman – Board of Management, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital said, “We are committed to improving the healthcare ecosystem in the state. It is our firm belief that working along with the state’s healthcare professionals, we will be able to bring a qualitative difference to the healthcare services in the region.”
