SHILLONG, Dec 11: A day after two seats for Meghalaya were cancelled from the central pool for MBBS studies, the Centre has compensated the state with two seats in Maulana Azad Medical College in New Delhi.
The earlier seats were for admissions in Palamu Medical College, Jharkhand. The central government had cancelled the two seats due to non-renewal of annual permission of the college by the National Medical Commission.
Meghalaya Health Minister, AL Hek, took up the matter with Union Health Minister, Dr Harsh Vardhan, following which the compensation was made with two seats at the college in New Delhi, to be occupied by Garo candidates.
“The two candidates have met me and were very happy,” Hek told reporters here.
“I am happy that our problems have been solved and I’m thankful to our Health Minister. There may be other students who may have to undergo the same problems like us. The state government should ensure that does not happen again,” said one of the students, Cassava R Marak.
This incident has underlined focus on the need for the state to have its own medical college in the state.
Reacting to a query, Hek informed the work for Tura Medical College is under progress and some negotiations are taking place between the state government and KPC over construction of Shillong Medical College in Umsawli.
It may be mentioned that Meghalaya has a total quota of 86 seats for MBBS studies including 50 in central pool, 13 in RIMS Imphal, 10 in Assam and three in Agartala.