Meghalaya nurses working in Japanese hospitals remitting Rs 5 cr annually to families: CM

Shillong, Nov 17 (PTI) Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Monday said 37 nurses, who are now working in hospitals in Japan as part of his government's initiative, are together remitting nearly Rs 5 crore to their families annually, and emphasised the growing impact of the state's collaboration with the island country.

He also inaugurated a six-month Japanese language training programme in Shillong.

The event was organised by the Meghalaya State Skill Development Society (MSSDS) under the Department of Labour, Employment & Skill Development at the Mount View Building, Barik.

Sangma said Meghalaya is working closely with Japan across sectors and aims to build a focused and long-term partnership.

"We don't want multiple tie-ups with multiple nations because if you try to tie up with everybody, you will not have a relationship with anybody," he said, noting the cultural and culinary similarities between Japan and the northeast region of India.

Reflecting on the state's growing engagement with the East Asian country, the chief minister said only two nurses were sent there two years ago, while 37 are now working there.

"Our nurses working in Japan today are at N4 grade, and we wish for them to be N3 grade nurses for higher salaries. On average, they send about Rs 1 lakh back home every month, and the foreign exchange coming into our state through these 37 nurses is about Rs 5 crore annually," he said during the event.

Sangma said his government aims to provide opportunities for youth not just to earn abroad but also to gain global exposure.

The partnership between the state government and the ASEAN Group is facilitating this process, he said.

State Labour Minister Methodius Dkhar, Asean Group Co Ltd Chairman and CEO Nishikwa Toshiaki, Japanese tutors and officials of MSSDS were present at the event.

While the nurses currently in Japan were trained for six months in Bengaluru, the new batch will receive training in Shillong, he said.

Welcoming the two Japanese tutors, he assured them that the government would do its best to make their stay comfortable.

Urging students to make full use of the opportunity to enhance their skills and employability, the chief minister informed that 86 students have now registered for the training. PTI JOP BDC