GUWAHATI, Oct 3: The foundation stone of Meghalaya’s first private medical college and hospital was laid on the premises the University of Science and Technology Meghalaya (USTM) at Baridua in Ri-Bhoi on Monday.
The institute will be named as PA Sangma International Medical College and Hospital.
Addressing the gathering during the foundation-laying ceremony, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma underlined the need to nurture young minds and channelise the energy of youths for a progressive state or nation.
“The biggest and most important investment that a government can make is the investment in human capital. If you look at the next 15 to 20 years, a young force will be created and if their energy is channelised and nurtured the right way, then the country can move forward,” Sangma said.
“We as political leaders think that problems in Northeast such as insurgency are the problem….but what we don’t realise is that insurgency and other problems related to the social structure, is the result of the problem and not the problem itself,” he said.
“Unless we channelise the energy of youth and invest in youth, they will become a destructive force as their energy cannot be stopped. Late PA Sangma always believed that human capital investment is the biggest investment that any government or society can make. As a government, we have realised the importance of a youth policy and have come up with one,” Sangma said.
The medical college and hospital is a mega dream project of ERD Foundation Guwahati, founded by its chairman Mahbubul Hoque, who is also the chancellor of USTM.
The foundation was laid in the presence of Rhonda Vetere, a global leader from the USA. “Naming the medical college after Late PA Sangma, who has been involved in the entire process of establishing USTM, is a tribute and an honour…the medical college will touch great heights looking at the way USTM is performing now,” the CM said.
Former Meghalaya Governor RS Mooshahary, Education Minister Lahkmen Rymbui, former Director of AIIMS RC Deka, Vice Chancellor of Srimanta Sankaradeva University of Health Sciences Dhrubajyoti Borah and former Vice Chancellor of Aligarh Muslim University Lt. Gen. Zameer Uddin Shah were present on the occasion among other distinguished guests.
Eminent doctors from across the Northeast and from the country and abroad witnessed the auspicious occasion at USTM.
“Colleges and universities are not just meant to give education to the youth or degrees. They have an important role in doing research and innovation. The biggest innovations and ideas have come from young minds and educational institutions need to provide a platform to the young minds to be able to think out of the box,” the CM said.
“What I see in USTM is that a lot of emphasis is put on research and innovation. It is imperative that innovation should be connected to entrepreneurs so that economies grow,” he said, while lauding the decade-old journey of USTM so far.
“This university (USTM) has transformed people’s lives … the students who have passed out are now doing jobs in different sectors. In the next 10 years, why can’t we have a goal of making USTM one of the top 20 universities in the country,” Sangma said.
Later, addressing the media, Hoque said, “One of the main features of the medical college and hospital is a 200-bed super-specialty hospital with advanced technological facilities and cutting-edge research.
“Following its mission, this hospital will be made completely free for all poor patients. Moreover, we will make its service entirely free for the people of Meghalaya”, he said.
Another significant perspective of this noble initiative is its emphasis on extensive research on healthcare.
This new institution has its unique target: to attract patients and students from the ASEAN countries. In the initial stage, it will specially target patients and students from Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan.
In order to materialise its global mission, USTM had selected Vetere, author and a global leader from New York to work worldwide for the university.
Addressing media persons, Vetere stated that she was very happy to be the global ambassador of USTM and that she would contribute towards developing an overall integrated communication strategy through international liaison to promote and enhance the visibility of the university and its mission globally, facilitate collaboration with world-class institutions as well as provide consultation on organisational structure, governance and administration.
The medical college and hospital will have an air ambulance facility and a network of ambulance services that will cover Guwahati and Shillong.
A mobile app will be developed so that patients can take hassle-free appointments of the doctors, can avail ambulance and various other facilities. This will help save their time and get doctors available when they arrive at the hospital.
“USTM will be organising national and international seminars and conferences in the healthcare sector. We welcome the support and suggestions of healthcare experts from the Northeast in our mission,” Hoque said.
It may be mentioned here that several doctors from the Northeast who are working abroad have expressed their interest to join the healthcare mission.
