SHILLONG: The much hyped Shillong Medical College and Hospital project scheduled to come up in Jhalupara is set to be delayed further following lack of communication between three wings of the Health Department for construction of the new TB hospital at Umsawli where patients from Reid Provincial Chest Hospital will be shifted.
Speaking to media persons here on Wednesday, Health and Family Welfare Minister AL Hek said land is available for the construction of the medical college but the new TB hospital at Umsawli is yet to be completed and the government cannot shift the patients until the new hospital is ready.
Reacting to a query, Hek said the new tuberculosis
hospital was supposed to be a 200-bed facility but instead provision for only 80 beds have been made. Now, the department will have to resign to the existing facility or expand the hospital to a 200-bed hospital.
“We gave free hand to the three wings and we thought everything is going on smoothly but in reality there was communication gap between the health engineering wing, DHS (MI) and the Reid Chest Hospital and they did not coordinate with each other,” he added.
Stating that he reviewed the matter two months ago, Hek replied in affirmative when asked if the medical college project will be delayed.
The minister said he would not blame anyone, including the previous government, for the error because “it is time that all join hands for solving the problem expeditiously”.
Last year, former Chief Minister Mukul Sangma laid the foundation for Shillong Medical College and Hospital, which is supposed to be built on a PPP mode.