Foundation of AYUSH Hospital laid in Shillong

A Reporter

SHILLONG: In a bid to provide better health care facilities to the people residing in the region, AL Hek, Minister of Health and Family Welfare Department, on Saturday laid the foundation stone for the 50-bed Integrated AYUSH Hospital at Wahshari, Sohra.

Delivering his address, the Health Minister expressed happiness that after years of continuous efforts and proposals, the Ministry of AYUSH under the National AYUSH Mission has sanctioned the setting up of two hospitals, one in Sohra and the other in Ri Bhoi district.

He highlighted that the motive behind selecting Sohra as one of the centres was that the Government wanted to promote the concept of Health Tourism. Sohra, he said, is adorned with a natural scenic beauty known throughout the world making it a sought-after tourist destination attracting visitors from around the country and the world over.

He stressed that through this centre, the practises of local and traditional healers would also be integrated with the AYUSH programme which will help revive and promote the ancient and traditional methods of healing.

He cited the example of Kerela, where its Health Tourism, promoted through the traditional systems of medicine like Ayurveda and Siddha, attracts tourists from all over the world.

Hek thanked the people of Sohra, who had generously contributed their land for the setting up of the Centre.

In conclusion, he expressed his optimism that with the laying of the foundation stone along with the continuous cooperation and support of the people of the region, the Integrated AYUSH Hospital will be set up at the earliest and this Centre will go a long way in uplifting the economy of the region and the state as a whole.

Earlier, Gavin M. Mylliem, MLA, Sohra, stated that it was a privilege and a matter of pride for the people of Sohra that such a hospital was being set up in the region.

He urged the Health Engineering Wing to ensure that the work be carried out at the earliest so that the centre will be completed in time. On completion, the Centre will prove to be very beneficial not only for the people residing in those areas but also for the thousands of visiting Tourists.

He lauded the efforts of the Health Minister for bringing about an all-round development in the Health scenario of the state, in particular, Sohra. He stated that it was through the intervention of A. L. Hek that the CHC in Sohra has been sanctioned with ambulances through the CSR initiatives with the Airport Authority of India.

In his speech, the Director of AYUSH, P. Bakshi, IAS, Secretary of Health & Family Welfare Department, expressed his gratitude to the Health Minister for having the vision of setting up a Directorate of AYUSH.

The AYUSH programme, he highlighted, is growing all over the country and is being further strengthened with the setting up of a full-fledged Ministry of AYUSH at the centre. Hence it is only befitting for the same to be started in the state.

He pointed out that with a huge tourist footfall in the region, it will be very beneficial to link tourism with health and wellness. He stated that having an AYUSH hospital will not only promote healthy living amongst the people but also promote the tremendous in flow of tourists who will now have another reason for visiting Sohra.

He mooted the idea of not naming the Centre as a hospital but rather as a Health and Wellness Centre which goes beyond the scope of treatment whereby people can avail various kinds of therapies which is not necessarily linked to illness but to overall health, wellness and beauty.

He appealed to the Health Engineering Wing, that the construction and design of the Centre should be done aesthetically whereby it should not appear as a conventional Government Hospital but rather as a lively place, set amidst the natural scenic beauty of Sohra.

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