By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Aug 25: The State Cabinet has approved the setting up of three medical colleges in Meghalaya in the next few years. The decision
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Principal Secretary for Health, Sampath Kumar said the Cabinet finalised the roadmap for starting work on a medical college each in Shillong, Tura, and the Ri-Bhoi district.
A committee has been constituted and a proposal has been made on how the colleges would be set up and operationalised, he said.
For the Shillong Medical College, the Health Department is seeking to leverage the existing resources such as the Shillong Civil Hospital, Ganesh Das Hospital, specialist doctors and others who have the potential to become faculty members.
In the case of the Tura Medical College, it was informed that the project is in the pipeline and the Health Department would finalise the procedures.
In addition, the department is exploring the PPP model through tie-ups with reputed medical institutions to operationalise the medical colleges.
Kumar said the PA Sangma International Medical College in the Ri-Bhoi district is an initiative of the University of Science & Technology, Meghalaya, a private institute. USTM will offer free and concessional medical seats to the students of the state.
The USTM has sought financial assistance through a repayable loan. Kumar said the Shillong Medical College would initially have 50 seats and would have provisions for increasing the seating capacity to 100.
“A major portion of the building for the Tura Medical College will be completed by May next year,” he said, adding that Rs 247 crore has been sanctioned for Tura Medical College, of which Rs 180 crore was funded by the Centre.
“We will require Rs 114 crore for setting up the Shillong Medical College,” he added.
He said the government is planning to implement the decision on a mission mode and target the setting up of the three medical colleges within 2-3 years.
Meanwhile, the Cabinet approved the establishment of the Meghalaya Medical Services Recruitment Board as a permanent institution entrusted with the responsibility of recruiting Allopathy doctors, AYUSH physicians, dental surgeons, and nurses.