Agartala, Oct 27 Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Tuesday said the northeastern state has witnessed a sea change in the healthcare sector over the past few years.
Addressing a programme in West Tripura’s Narsingarh, he said the number of MBBS seats has increased from 200 to 500 during the past three years, while one more medical college is in the pipeline.
“The number of MBBS seats at Agartala Government Medical College (AGMC) has increased from 150 to 250. The AGMC is ranked 131st out of 823 medical colleges across the country,” he said.
Saha said steps have been initiated to improve AGMC’s rank by introducing new facilities and courses to meet the needs of the state.
“While a homoeopathic medical college has become operational in West Tripura, the proposed Ayurvedic medical college will become operational shortly. Tripura University for Medical Sciences will be inaugurated soon to oversee medical colleges and other medical institutions. The state is indeed witnessing a sea change in the healthcare sector,” he said.
Saha said the state government has taken steps to strengthen district-level hospitals by adding new facilities such as trauma care centres and cardiac care centres.
The chief minister said the Shija Hospitals and Research Institute (SHRI), an Imphal-based healthcare institution, will invest Rs 700 crore in the northeastern state.
“They have already started developing a super-speciality hospital in West Tripura, and later it will be converted into a medical college. Another 100-bed hospital by a private party is also coming up in Dhalai district,” he said.
The chief minister said the department has also been focusing on the wellness of the people.
“A survey suggests that non-communicable diseases account for 65 per cent of all deaths in the Northeast. To address the problem, a special drive was carried out across the state to screen people, and so far 3.60 lakh persons have been screened. Necessary interventions have been provided to those found to be at risk of developing diseases,” he said.
(PTI News)
