ITANAGAR, 12 Aug: Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Wednesday informed that the state government, in collaboration with Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi, is working towards starting organ transplant facilities at Tomo Riba Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (TRIHMS). The process for installation of an organ perfusion system at TRIHMS is already underway, he said, adding that the facility would initially commence with kidney transplantation.
"The initiative would represent a major advancement in the state's tertiary healthcare capabilities and reduce the need for patients to travel outside Arunachal for advanced treatment," he said.
The chief minister said this while handing over appointment orders to 72 newly recruited medical specialists and called their induction as a major step towards strengthening specialist healthcare services across Arunachal Pradesh.
Khandu said the government's objective is to ensure that people do not have to travel outside Arunachal Pradesh for treatment that can be provided within the state.
"Our aim should be that all kinds of treatment should be available to our people within the state," he said.
Further strengthening the state's support for patients requiring organ and other major transplants, the chief minister said the government has launched the Chief Minister's Organ Transplant Scheme under the Chief Minister's Organ Transplant Society.
Under CMOTS, the state government will provide enhanced financial assistance of up to Rs. 12 lakh for kidney transplants, Rs. 17 lakh for bone marrow transplants and Rs. 22 lakh for liver transplants.
Khandu said the initiative would provide substantial financial relief to families facing the high cost of life-saving transplant procedures and further strengthen the state's commitment to ensuring access to advanced medical care.
Speaking at the felicitation ceremony of the successful candidates from the Medical Specialist Recruitment Examination-2026, the chief minister said their induction will enhance the availability of specialised medical services across the state, particularly benefiting people living in remote and underserved areas.
Lauding the newly appointed specialist doctors for opting government service, Khandu urged them to view their postings not merely as places of employment but as opportunities to serve communities that may have waited for years for access to specialist medical care. He also urged them to uphold the highest standards of professionalism, empathy and accountability, reminding them that medicine is ultimately a service rooted in compassion and trust.
The state government is also working towards establishing two more medical colleges-one at Namsai under a Public-Private Partnership mode, with construction starting this year, and another in West Kameng district.
Arunachal Pradesh currently has six zonal hospitals, 17 district hospitals, 57 community health centres (CHCs), 162 primary health centres (PHCs) and 647 sub-health centres, Khandu said.
"For a geographically vast and difficult terrain like Arunachal Pradesh, strengthening healthcare infrastructure and ensuring adequate manpower at every level was particularly important," he said.
Highlighting the progress of the TRIHMS, which began functioning in 2017 with 50 MBBS seats, Khandu said that the intake was increased to 100 MBBS seats from last year.
He said the admission ratio at TRIHMS, which initially provided 65 per cent reservation for APST candidates and 35 per cent for students from the rest of India, has now been revised to 85 per cent reservation for local students, providing greater opportunities for aspiring medical students of Arunachal Pradesh.
He further announced that MD and MS specialist courses would be introduced at TRIHMS shortly, further strengthening the state's capacity for postgraduate medical education and specialist manpower generation.
The chief minister also said that 35 vacancies of specialist doctors at TRIHMS, 61 specialist vacancies in government hospitals across the state and 79 vacancies of GDMOs are still to be filled.
Linking healthcare development with the broader vision of national and state development, Khandu said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has set the goal of Viksit Bharat by 2047, and Arunachal Pradesh aspires to achieve a Viksit Arunachal by 2047.
He said a strong and accessible healthcare system would be one of the most important pillars of this vision.
"Healthcare is one of the most significant pillars of a Viksit Arunachal. Our focus must be to build a system where our people can access quality treatment within the state itself," he said.
The chief minister also emphasised teamwork among doctors, nurses, paramedics, technicians, pharmacists and other healthcare workers, saying that the quality of healthcare ultimately depends on the people who operate the system. (CM's PR Cell)
