Tura, Meghalaya, Jan 15: The Meghalaya government has decided not to privatise the proposed Tura Medical College and Hospital, scrapping earlier plans to run the institution under a public-private partnership (PPP) model, Health and Family Welfare Minister Wailadmiki Shylla said on Wednesday.
Addressing concerns raised by the public and civil society groups, the minister confirmed that the medical college will function entirely as a government institution. He said the decision was taken in view of widespread opposition and apprehensions over possible privatisation of healthcare services in the Garo Hills region.
Shylla informed that the recruitment process for the Tura Medical College has already begun, although he acknowledged that attracting a sufficient number of qualified faculty remains a challenge. He added that construction work on the medical college and hospital is progressing steadily and is nearing completion.
“The government has taken note of public sentiment and is committed to ensuring accessible and affordable healthcare,” the minister said, reiterating that the state would retain full control over the institution.
In a related development, the Health Minister announced that the department has decided to introduce a new category of health facilities called PHC+ (Primary Health Centre Plus). The move follows public demands to upgrade existing Primary Health Centres into Community Health Centres (CHCs).
According to Shylla, PHC+ centres will serve as an intermediate model, offering more doctors, nurses and beds than standard PHCs, while operating with fewer facilities and manpower than CHCs. The initiative is aimed at strengthening rural healthcare delivery by improving services without the full infrastructure requirements of a CHC.
The twin decisions—retaining Tura Medical College as a government-run institution and introducing PHC+ centres—are expected to bolster public healthcare services in Meghalaya, particularly in underserved and rural areas.
