"NEIGRIHMS so far is a derailed and defunct train that needs urgent repair to put it back on track and there is a need to revitalise, rejuvenate the system, so as to create a true 'island of excellence' instead of inheriting a white elephant," the director told reporter here at a press conference.
He pointed out that the institute had not been "going forward" despite "investment of a lot of money and manpower".
Earlier, addressing a felicitation function on his assuming office as a full-fledged director of the fledgling institution, Ahangar, a renowned open heart surgeon from Jammu and Kashmir said his priority was to bring about excellence in patient care, develop institutional work culture of excellence and instill rigorous discipline and punctuality in the work force.
"There is need to rise up to the expectations of the entire North Eastern states," Ahangar said, adding that he intends to set up a 20-bed medical ICU, 20-bed surgical ICU, Trauma Centre and neuro-cardiac centre with five operation tables each, genetic counseling centre, emergency services catering to disaster management besides an air ambulance at the institute with its own helipad.
He said his priorities included pushing for post doctoral, post graduate, under graduate, diploma and para medical courses besides completing unfinished tasks and projects including human resource development in the field of health care.
