Shillong, Nov 04: The North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS) on Saturday hosted the first conference of radiologists from different states of the Northeast.

The two-day conference being held at NEIGRIHMS is the 43rd annual conference of the Indian Radiological & Imaging Association (IRIA), Assam State chapter.

Director General, Assam Rifles, Lt Gen Shokin Chauhan inaugurated the conference in presence of NEIGRIHMS Director, D.M. Thapa, IRIA Assam State chapter president, Dr Binoy Kr. Choudhury and other dignitaries.

Organized under the theme “Imaging for future generation” over 200 delegates are taking part in the conference.

Radiology is the science that uses medical imaging to diagnose and treat diseases within the body.

Chauhan in his address said that the role of technology in medical sciences is a fast evolving entity and emphasized that medical health administrative and radiological device industry should seamlessly match so that the common goal of providing effective medical care to the people is achieved.

He hoped that the two-day conference would address all advances and disseminate knowledge which is the most important factor for helping the patients.

Chauhan also lauded the yeoman services extended by NEIGRIHMS to soldiers of Assam Rifles deployed all over the Northeast and medical treatment to the people of the region.

According to the NEIGRIHMS Director, radio-diagnosis is one of the very important components of a hospital setting and for hospital to progress it has to have a robust radio-diagnosis department even as he pointed out shortage of radiologists in the country.

He also said that the department of radio-diagnosis should have two important people, a radiologist and a technician, while stressing the need to concentrate not only radiologist but produce good technicians as well.

Thapa said that to address this gap, the institute was contemplating of starting a diploma course in radiodiagnosis and imaging to produce good technicians.