Apollo Children’s Hospital, Chennai partners with NHM Nagaland

In a significant step towards enhancing pediatric healthcare in Nagaland, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed on Thursday between Apollo Children’s Hospital (ACH), Chennai and the Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram (RBSK) under the National Health Mission (NHM), Nagaland. The signing ceremony took place at the office of the Mission Director, NHM.
The MoU outlines collaboration for screening and treatment of congenital heart diseases in children aged 0 to 18 years. Under the initiative, NHM will organize screening camps across the state in association with ACH. Children identified for advanced treatment will be referred to ACH, Chennai, where costs will be covered under the RBSK model. Any additional expenses beyond the prescribed norms will be borne by the Apollo Hospital Charitable Trust.
As part of the agreement, ACH will provide free accommodation to patient attendants during treatment and extend training opportunities to government doctors and support staff in pediatric cardiac surgery and interventions. The hospital also committed to introducing teleconsultation services in Nagaland and creating future employment avenues for nurses from the state.
The MoU was signed by Mission Director NHM, Dr. Avile Zao and Unit Head of Apollo Children’s and Women’s Hospital, Chennai, Niranjani S., in presence of Senior Manager, Health Care Services, ACH, D. Rajkumar, State Program Officer (NHM) Dr. Keveduyi Theyo, and other NHM officials.
Expressing appreciation, Dr. Zao remarked that the collaboration is expected to improve access to specialized medical care for children in Nagaland. Niranjani S. shared the hospital’s successful experiences in Meghalaya, Tripura, and Arunachal Pradesh, adding that similar efforts would benefit Nagaland’s healthcare landscape.
This initiative adds to NHM Nagaland’s existing partnerships, including MoUs with SKY Hospital and SHIJA Hospitals & Research Institute in Imphal (2018) and Health City Hospital, Guwahati (2025), for cardiac care services in the Northeast region.