NITI Aayog Team Visits Zoram Medical College & Hospital (ZMCH)

A delegation from NITI Aayog visited Zoram Medical College & Hospital (ZMCH), Falkawn today at 3:00 PM. The visiting team included Dr. Vinod K. Paul, Member, NITI Aayog; Ms. Anna Roy, Principal Economic Advisor, NITI Aayog & Mission Director, WEP; Mr. Surender Mehra, Adviser (GT&CC, DMEO&AIM), NITI Aayog and PD-Mizoram; Dr. Thyagaraju B. M, Deputy Advisor – S&T Vertical; Dr. Priscilla C. Ngaihte, Regional Lead, NE States – ADP/ABP Vertical; Dr. Shobhit Kumar, Research Officer – Health Vertical; Ms. Shrestha Hazra, Consultant Grade-I – Health Vertical; and Mr. Milap, YP – NITI Aayog. The Health Minister, Pi Lalrinpuii, warmly welcomed the delegation. Also present were Smt. Sherry Lalthangzo, Economic Adviser (E&M), NEC, along with officials from the Health & Family Welfare Department and the Planning Department.

A formal meeting was held in the Council Room of ZMCH, where Dr. John Zohmingthanga, Director of ZMCH, provided an overview of the college’s background, ongoing initiatives, and key requirements. Additionally, Dr. Eric Zomawia, Mission Director, NHM, highlighted various significant aspects of Mizoram’s health sector. This was followed by a fruitful discussion session.

During the meeting, Dr. Vinod K. Paul acknowledged that Mizoram has the lowest Infant Mortality Rate in India (3 per 1,000 live births), attributing this achievement to the commendable efforts of the Health & Family Welfare Department. He urged health officials to continue their focused interventions to eliminate diseases such as Tuberculosis, Malaria, Measles, Rubella, and Leprosy from the state. He also emphasized the importance of strengthening primary healthcare and aligning state health initiatives with national policies for better outcomes.

Furthermore, he mentioned that proposals for the construction of the Aizawl Civil Hospital Administrative Block, Laboratory Block, and Serchhip District Hospital have been submitted to the DoNER Ministry for approval.

Dr. Paul also discussed the ongoing efforts to introduce Postgraduate courses at ZMCH, ensuring their timely completion. Updates on the Critical Care Block construction and various hospital and academic infrastructure improvements were also reviewed, with a commitment to expedite their completion.