From Our Reporter
SOHRA, Jan 11: Confirming a steady progress of the Shillong Medical College, Health Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh has revealed that the much-vaunted project is on track for completion by 2025.
“The people of Meghalaya can look forward to 2025 as the year when the longstanding shortage of doctors will finally be addressed,” Lyngdoh said, as she further shared that the Government of India has encouraged the state to initiate postgraduate courses at the college by 2027, calling it “a win-win situation for us.”
The minister made these remarks during the recent Cabinet Retreat, where the health sector took centre stage. She lauded the retreat as a valuable platform for addressing ongoing challenges and facilitating informed decision-making.
While Shillong Medical College is progressing as planned, Lyngdoh acknowledged delays in the Tura Medical College project, citing challenges in securing approvals and funding from the Centre. However, she assured that the state government is determined to limit the delay to no more than 12 months. “We have sent proposals to the Government of India, and we are awaiting the necessary approvals,” she stated.
Lyngdoh also addressed broader issues affecting the health sector, including delayed funding that hampers the operations of primary health centres (PHCs), community health centres (CHCs), and sub-centres. “Half of the health budget is allocated to salary disbursements, while the other half often fails to reach these facilities on time,” she said.
To tackle these challenges, the government plans to conduct an audit of healthcare facilities to identify gaps and ensure efficient use of resources. Lyngdoh stressed on the importance of improving the functionality of existing facilities rather than focusing solely on upgrades. “We want to ensure that PHCs, sub-centres, and CHCs are operating effectively. Upgradation alone is not the solution,” she asserted.
The Cabinet Retreat also marked a milestone as the state’s first comprehensive field visit by the entire Cabinet. “This initiative is likely the first of its kind in the country. Although the schedule was set until 7 PM, we extended it to 8:30 PM to dedicate two full days to this effort,” Lyngdoh said.