ITANAGAR, Aug 12: Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Wednesday presented Orders of Appointment to 72 successful candidates of the Medical Specialist Recruitment (MSR) Examination-2026, describing their induction as a significant step towards strengthening specialist healthcare services across Arunachal Pradesh.
Khandu said the appointment of 72 specialist doctors, along with the recruitment of General Duty Medical Officers (GDMOs), nurses, laboratory technicians, pharmacists and other healthcare personnel in recent years, had helped the State Government substantially bridge the manpower gap in the health sector.
“The induction of these specialists will enhance the availability of specialised medical services across the State, particularly benefiting people living in remote and underserved areas,” he said.
The Chief Minister said 35 specialist doctor posts at Tomo Riba Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (TRIHMS), 61 specialist posts in government hospitals across the State and 79 GDMO posts were still vacant and would be filled shortly.
He appreciated the newly appointed specialists for opting for government service, noting that despite repeated recruitment advertisements, only a limited number of specialist doctors had been appearing for selection.
“Our aim should be that all kinds of treatment should be available to our people within the State,” Khandu said, stressing that people should not have to travel outside Arunachal Pradesh for treatment that could be provided within the State.
Highlighting the scale of the State's public healthcare network, he said Arunachal Pradesh currently has six zonal hospitals, 17 district hospitals, 57 community health centres, 162 primary health centres and 647 sub-health centres.
For a geographically vast and difficult terrain like Arunachal Pradesh, strengthening healthcare infrastructure and ensuring adequate manpower at every level was particularly important, he said.
“A patient in a remote village should have the same right to quality healthcare as someone living in Itanagar or any other urban centre,” Khandu said, emphasising that the Govt's focus was not merely on expanding infrastructure but also on ensuring that specialised healthcare reached the last mile.
He urged the newly appointed specialists to view their postings not merely as places of employment but as opportunities to serve communities that may have waited for years for access to specialist medical care.
Khandu highlighted the progress of TRIHMS, the State's lone medical college, which began functioning in 2017 with 50 MBBS seats. Three batches of MBBS students have already graduated, he said, adding that the intake had been increased to 100 seats from last year.
He said the admission ratio at TRIHMS, which initially provided 65 per cent reservation for APST candidates and 35 per cent for students from outside the State, had now been revised to 85 per cent reservation for local students, providing greater opportunities for aspiring medical students of Arunachal Pradesh.
He further announced that MD and MS courses would be introduced at TRIHMS shortly, strengthening the State's capacity for postgraduate medical education and specialist manpower generation.
In another significant development, Khandu said the State Government, in collaboration with Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, New Delhi, was working towards starting organ transplant facilities at TRIHMS.
The process for installing an Organ Perfusion System at TRIHMS was already underway, he said, adding that the facility would initially begin with kidney transplantation.
The initiative, he said, would mark a major advancement in the State's tertiary healthcare capabilities and reduce the need for patients to travel outside Arunachal Pradesh for advanced treatment.
The Chief Minister also informed that the Government had launched the Chief Minister's Organ Transplant Scheme (CMOTS) under the Chief Minister's Organ Transplant Society. The scheme extends financial assistance beyond kidney transplantation to bone marrow and liver transplants.
Under CMOTS, the State Government will provide financial assistance of up to Rs 12 lakh for kidney transplants, Rs 17 lakh for bone marrow transplants and Rs 22 lakh for liver transplants.
Khandu said the initiative would provide substantial financial relief to families facing the high cost of life-saving transplant procedures.
The State Govt is also working towards establishing two more medical colleges, he said. One is proposed at Namsai under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) mode, with construction scheduled to begin this year, while discussions are underway for establishing another medical college in West Kameng district.
72 selected through
merit-based process
The Chief Minister congratulated all 72 successful candidates and their parents, families, teachers and mentors. He particularly appreciated the Arunachal Pradesh Public Service Commission (APPSC) for conducting the MSR Examination-2026 through a transparent, merit-based and time-bound process.
The recruitment process began with the advertisement issued on April 13, 2026. Of the 117 applications received, 116 candidates qualified for the viva voce held from June 22 to 29. Following the selection process, 72 candidates were recommended for appointment.
Khandu said the transparent recruitment process reflected the Govt's commitment to ensuring that qualified professionals received equal and merit-based opportunities to serve the people.
Linking healthcare development with the broader vision of development, he said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had set the goal of Viksit Bharat by 2047, while Arunachal Pradesh aspired to achieve Viksit Arunachal by 2047.
“Healthcare is one of the most significant pillars of a Viksit Arunachal. Our focus must be to build a system where our people can access quality treatment within the State itself,” he said.
The Chief Minister said the Govt would continue investing in healthcare infrastructure, human resources, technology and specialised services to make the State's health system stronger, more responsive, accessible and future-ready.
He also urged the newly appointed doctors to uphold the highest standards of professionalism, empathy and accountability, reminding them that medicine was ultimately a service rooted in compassion and trust.
“A good doctor treats a disease. A great doctor also understands the person who is suffering,” Khandu said, urging the specialists to treat every patient with dignity irrespective of social or economic background.
He also emphasised teamwork among doctors, nurses, paramedics, technicians, pharmacists and other healthcare workers, saying that the quality of healthcare ultimately depended on the people who operated the system.