SHILLONG, June 19: The state government is exploring different models, including public-private partnership, in a bid to start the construction of the Shillong Medical College and Hospital (SMCH).
Revealing this here on Monday, Health Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh said the government is also weighing the idea of utilising the available facilities and resources for the SMCH.
The second option would entail converting the Shillong Civil Hospital, Ganesh Das Hospital, or the Reid Chest (TB) Hospital into an institution of medical learning.
“A note on the SMCH covering all the models is being prepared for presenting before the cabinet,” she said.
Lyngdoh also said the Tura Medical College project is progressing well but the government would speed up the construction work.
On the status of the ‘108’ ambulance service, she said the government wants to appoint an eligible service provider at the earliest to run the emergency services in the state.
Earlier, the 108 services were run by the GVK-EMRI but a closure notice was served to the company in 2022. The government is running the services temporarily.
Lyngdoh said that the department is assessing the best way forward to streamline the 108 services.
Admitting that the National Health Mission is not a professional organisation equipped to run the 108 services in Meghalaya, she said the ambulance workers have submitted a memorandum to the government for job security.
“We must protect their services and give them maximum coverage and benefit whenever a new company takes over,” Lyngdoh said, adding that the department is preparing the tendering procedure without rushing things.
The tender seeking an expression of interest would be floated soon, she said.
