Shillong, June 21: The Meghalaya government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for setting up of the first of its kind state-of-the-art diagnostic centre.

The diagnostic centre will be set up at Pasteur Institute, Lawmali here on a public private partnership mode.

The MoU was signed between the Health and Family Welfare department and Suraksha Specialty Diagnostics in collaboration with Salvia Global LLP in presence of the Health Minister AL Hek and other health officials on Friday.

The proposed diagnostic centre will render all pathological and radiology services. It will cover all routine and other high-end important blood tests for which the local people need not go outside.

Speaking to reporters, Hek said the total project cost is Rs 50 crore, of which Rs 20 crore has been sanctioned by the Central government.

Terming the occasion as historic, Hek announced that the diagnostic centre will be a Christmas gift to the people of the state as the centre will start functioning within five months by November this year.

“I am very happy that the tears of the people especially the poor will be translated into smile as the diagnostic centre will have facilities which will be available free of cost,” he said.

Informing that the centre will be linked with the Meghalaya Health Insurance Scheme (MHIS-IV), Hek appealed to all citizens to enroll themselves under the scheme.

Earlier, Health secretary, Pravin Bakshi said that the centre is the first of its kind and one of the few in the North Eastern region. He informed that maximum number of diagnostic packages have been included under the MHIS-IV.

On the infrastructure aspect, Christopher Rani from the Salvia Designated Partners informed that they are also proposing to remodel the existing Assam-type building from where the diagnostic centre will operate.