By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, March 1: The state government is contemplating to send a proposal to the Centre to block a larger number of medical seats for Meghalaya from the central quota to tide over the shortage of doctors in the state.
Health Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh on Friday said that last year, the total number of seat allotted to the state was 96. “On an average we send these many students for medical studies against sponsored seats but the quota of allocation changes from year to year depending on the availability in the central pool.
She said the government makes an effort to compile a data on the return of the MBBS doctors to the state after the completion of their course. The Health department is aware of the location of some of these doctors.
Talking about the bond signed between the students and the government to serve in the state, she said, “As of today the signing of bond is something which has been reviewed from time to time. It is binding upon students to inform the government as to when they are returning and if not then the reason behind why they are not retuning.”
“You cannot force a student who has paid a bond to return to the state to serve here,” she added.
She also stated that earlier the department did not have a state registry and some of the doctors were registering and practicing in other states. “Now we have our own medical board which is registering the doctors and it is being made compulsory,” she said.