Shillong, Sept 10, 2025: Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma on Wednesday visited the historic Lady Kerr Welfare Centre at Laban, which also houses the Indian Red Cross Society (IRCS), Meghalaya State Branch, and the Red Cross Maternity Home. He was accompanied by South Shillong MLA Shanbor Shullai, members of the IRCS Meghalaya branch, and staff of the centre.
Established in 1920, the Lady Kerr Welfare Centre has been serving the community for more than a century but is now in a dilapidated condition. The IRCS Meghalaya branch appealed to the state government to extend assistance for its renovation and development.
Highlighting the centre’s role, the IRCS noted that it has been providing crucial healthcare services, particularly child and maternity care for the poor and marginalized, while also extending aid during emergencies, conflicts, and crises. Officials stressed that urgent infrastructural improvements were needed to sustain its services.
After touring the facility and hearing the concerns of the society, the Chief Minister described the IRCS Meghalaya as an important community health institution.
“Community health societies and governments can collaborate by establishing shared goals, pooling resources, and integrating efforts into public health infrastructure,” Sangma said. He added that such partnerships could transform the Lady Kerr Welfare Centre into a central health asset for the state.
The Chief Minister assured the IRCS of the government’s assistance in renovating the centre and said his government would explore avenues for deeper collaboration to strengthen community health services in Meghalaya.
