SHILLONG: The Meghalaya Youth Congress has called for an urgent overhaul of the North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS) recruitment policy, alleging that current practices favor candidates from outside the region—especially Rajasthan—while sidelining local aspirants and compromising patient safety.
Youth leaders Banphira Basawiamoit and Joel Desmond Nongrum highlighted that, in the 2023 hiring cycle, 203 recruits were from Rajasthan (including 134 male nurses) compared to just 15 from Meghalaya.
They argued that the lack of local nursing coaching infrastructure puts Meghalaya candidates at a disadvantage.
The Youth Congress also criticized the sharp gender imbalance in recent recruitments—approximately 90% male and 10% female—raising concerns about patient comfort and safety in sensitive wards such as maternity, pediatrics, and female postnatal units.
They rejected NEIGRIHMS’ defense that it cannot implement the 80:20 female-to-male ratio used by AIIMS and other national institutes, arguing that regulatory flexibility is allowed to ensure women and children’s safety.
The leaders cited patient complaints and past incidents, including allegations of molestation and medical negligence, as evidence of the need for reform.
With many staff set to retire in coming years, the Youth Congress wants a shift toward local and female recruitment, and plans to escalate the issue to Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda.
The controversy highlights the wider conflict between centralized hiring norms and regional employment and safety priorities in Northeast healthcare institutions.
(4FrontMedia news)
ALSO READ: VPP Youth Wing Halts NEIGRIHMS Nursing Counselling
