By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, May 12: The Meghalaya government will again request Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a date to formally inaugurate the Shillong Medical College and Hospital (SMCH).
Health Minister Wailadmiki Shylla told reporters on Monday that while the Prime Minister had previously set two dates for the inauguration, both were postponed due to unavoidable circumstances. With recent elections concluded, the government is optimistic about holding the official ceremony this year.
The medical college is already operational with 50 students following approval from the Medical Council of India.
Addressing infrastructure requirements, Shylla noted that as a brownfield project, SMCH still requires significant development.
Tenders for facilities such as a playground have been floated, and an Expression of Interest (EOI) is being called to prepare a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for a new building.
“The Chief Minister has assured us of sanctions. While we may not complete everything at once, we will progress in phases,” the minister said.
Regarding faculty recruitment, Shylla admitted that hiring remains a challenge even for the current 50 seats.
This difficulty initially led the government to consider a public-private partnership (PPP) mode for the Tura Medical College and Hospital (TMCH). However, due to public demand for a government-run institution, the state has now floated tenders for faculty recruitment at TMCH.
The government aims to operationalise the Tura facility by next year.
