- Shillong Medical College to admit students from next year
- State govt to operate Tura Medical College on PPP mode
By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Jan 29: The Health department has proposed that the state government run the Shillong Medical College and operate the Tura Medical College on a Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode.
The estimated costs of the Shillong and Tura medical colleges will be Rs 100 crore and Rs 287.47 crore respectively. The state government’s investment for the PA Sangma International Medical College at USTM will be Rs 235 crore.
The government plans to merge the departments and infrastructure of Shillong Civil Hospital and Ganesh Das Hospital for the Shillong Medical College.
According to the proposal, Ganesh Das Hospital will host the departments of Obstetrics & Gynaecology and Paediatrics while Shillong Civil Hospital will be the medical college-cum-hospital for other departments.
The government is looking to affiliate the Shillong Medical College to the North-Eastern Hill University.
After a review meeting with Health department officials here on Monday, Health Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh told reporters that they aim to admit the first batch of MBBS students to the proposed Shillong Medical College by 2025. Initially, there will be 50 seats.
Lyngdoh said they have necessary facilities and will meet the target of having a minimum of 400 beds to start the Shillong Medical College. She also said that they have qualified experts and staff to run the college.
“It is a Brownfield project. What we need to look at is to put in place an HR policy for the super specialists and professors who will come and teach in the medical college. We will also need to prepare additional requirements like hostels, lecture rooms and operation theatres,” the Minister said.
Brownfield sites are typically located in urban areas and have previously been built upon.
She said they will need to immediately float tender, inviting ‘Request for Proposal’ for the architectural firms to prepare the infrastructure for the buildings and other components for the medical college.
She said they have paid the processing fee of Rs 5.90 lakh to the National Medical Commission. “We have appointed an advisory committee and it has been tasked to follow up all matters concerning the setting up of the medical college,” the Minister said.
She said the committee will need to look into the setting up of clinical and infrastructural requirements, affiliation to a recognised university and HR policy of the state government.
Meanwhile, Lyngdoh said she had the opportunity to have a quick review of the Tura Medical College when she visited Tura recently to participate in the Meghalaya Day celebration. There are still some formalities which need to be completed, she said.
“We need to have another sitting with the PWD (Roads) since there is a minor issue over the approach road leading to the medical college,” she said.
The physical progress of the college is around 60 per cent, she said, adding that the target to complete the project is by the end of next year.
According to her, they are constructing the lecture theatre. She said they will set up the clinical hospitals to improve the facilities of some of the hospitals in Tura and its nearby areas.
“We have to increase the bed capacity to over 400 to meet the minimum norms for the setting up of the medical college,” she said.
Lyngdoh said they will need to have another round of discussion with Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma along with the Cabinet to review investments which were made from 2014 onwards for the Tura Medical College.
She said as it stands, the Tura Medical College will be run on a PPP mode as they will need a huge investment on human resources and also on clinical requirements.
She said the proposal to set up the PA Sangma International Medical College at USTM is currently with the Finance department.
According to her, they will have to examine the financial implications and ensure that there is adequate investment for the project.
“We will have to ensure that there is no conflict of interest with the USTM,” she said.