By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Sep 11: The construction of the Tura Medical College and Hospital (TMCH) is going on but at a snail’s pace.
It is being built on a public-private partnership (PPP) mode, evoking widespread opposition.
Speaking in the Assembly during a short duration discussion on the idea of handing over the TMCH to a private entity, Health and Family Welfare Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh cited the reasons which forced the government to develop it on a PPP mode.
She said the government will continue to be a major stakeholder in the institute and that, the ownership of the building and the land will remain with it even after the execution of the project on a PPP mode.
There are concerns that fees will be Rs 50 lakh to Rs 1 crore for MBBS education in the state but the Minister said the government has not even reached the stage of deciding on the fee structure.
Earlier, Opposition leader Mukul Sangma said the state will gain if it establishes a government medical college in Tura.
“Bringing private players in Tura is like bringing a hungry shark in a small pond,” he said adding that the private entities will not come here for charity but for profits.