By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: The State Government finally approved the modalities for construction of the Shillong Medical college.
The State Cabinet in its meeting held here on Saturday approved the bidding document for construction of the Shillong Medical College and Hospital under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) mode.
Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma, while talking to media persons after the meeting, said that the Government has approved the detailed modalities put forward by the International Finance Corporation for the proposed medical college.
It may be mentioned that the State Government had signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the International Finance Corporation last year to set up the proposed medical college on the PPP mode.
According to Dr Sangma, the bidding process for the college will be over within this year and the construction of the medical college will begin from next year.
However, the State Government is yet to finalize the location for shifting the TB Hospital (Reid Chest Hospital) from its present location at Jhalupara to pave way for the medical college.
The expected project cost is Rs 248 crore.
The International Finance Corporation (IFC) has been asked to prepare the modalities for the bidding document, the Chief Minister informed.
If one goes by the word of the Chief Minister, the first batch of students would be enrolled by 2017 and 40 per cent of the seats in the College would be exclusively reserved for the students of Meghalaya.
“The hospital would have around hundred to three hundred beds for super speciality treatment,” Dr Sangma added.
The Chief Minister also informed that free medical aid would be provided in the college which is expected to cater to around 2,40,000 people in the Out Patient Department (OPD) annually.
“The ratio would be one student for eight patients as per the norms,” he said.
The other proposed medical college in the State would be set up at Jewilgre Aking, 18 km from Tura, on a 150-acre plot of land provided by the Chambugong clan.
It is learnt that the Deputy Commissioner has been asked to examine the land at Tura and the State Government is awaiting the recommendations of the West Khasi Hills Deputy Commissioner before going ahead with the land acquisition.
