Meghalaya to review health challenges every six months amid anaemia concerns

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on November 4 said the state government would review critical health issues every six months, or at least once a year, to ensure focused interventions and measurable outcomes.

Sangma made the announcement while attending the inaugural session of the 'Rethinking Anaemia: Towards Comprehensive Anaemia Care' workshop in Shillong, where he highlighted anaemia as a persistent public health challenge, particularly among women and children.

Emphasising the need to move beyond the implementation of government schemes, the Chief Minister said addressing the root causes of health problems was essential to bringing meaningful improvements to people's lives.

He called for a coordinated approach involving government departments, medical experts and development partners to strengthen anaemia prevention, early detection and treatment.

Referring to the Meghalaya Health Summit, Sangma said the government intended to take up key health concerns at regular intervals to ensure that discussions translated into concrete action.

He also urged development partners and medical experts to extend their work beyond institutional settings and reach villages and local communities.

"Our efforts must go beyond implementing schemes to addressing the root causes and making a real difference in people's lives," he said, stressing that interventions should reach those most in need.

The Chief Minister reiterated the government's focus on improving maternal and child health, adding that tackling anaemia would require sustained efforts in awareness, prevention and comprehensive healthcare delivery.