New Delhi: The Centre will open a medical college in Tura on a priority basis since Meghalaya does not have a medical college, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Ghulam Nabi Azad said on Friday.
In his reply to a special mention made by Rajya Sabha member from Meghalaya, Wansuk Syiem, during the last Parliament session, Azad said that under the Central Financial Assistance, a new scheme relating to establishment of government medical colleges attached with upgraded district/referral hospitals in the country has been proposed in the 12th Plan period.
“The scheme is in pipeline for approval and priority would be given to states which do not have a single medical college and then we would like to consider under-served states having districts with no medical colleges,” the reply said.
Syiem had demanded for opening of a medical college in the State to meet the acute shortage of doctors in the hill state.
Syiem had also stated said that NEIGRIHMS has 50 MBBS seats out of which only nine are reserved for domiciles of Meghalaya. “The hill state has no other medical college and the Planning Commission has identified it as a deficit state as far as medical facilities are concerned,” she had said.
The State Government has identified land for the medical college in Tura and submitted a proposal to the Central Government, Wansuk said, adding that the same can be done on a PPP mode also.