Shillong, May 11: Meghalaya Health and Family Welfare Minister Wailadmiki Shylla on Monday said the state government has decided to establish the proposed Tura Medical College as a government-run institution following strong public demand, despite earlier plans to operate it under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model.
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| Meghalaya Health and Family Welfare Minister Wailadmiki Shylla. (File Photo) |
Speaking on the matter, Wailadmiki Shylla said the government had initially considered the PPP model due to challenges in recruiting faculty members for Shillong Medical College, which currently operates as a government medical college with an intake capacity of 50 students.
He stated that recruiting qualified professors and faculty members has already proven difficult for Shillong Medical College, and the challenge would be even greater for Tura Medical College, which is expected to accommodate around 150 students.
“People wanted Tura Medical College to also function as a government medical college after seeing Shillong Medical College become operational,” the minister said, adding that the government ultimately decided to honour public sentiment and move ahead with the state-run model.
According to the minister, advertisements for faculty recruitment at Tura Medical College have already been floated, and the government aims to make the institution operational by the next academic session. However, he noted that the timeline would depend on the successful recruitment of adequate faculty members.
Wailadmiki Shylla further informed that several tenders have already been issued to strengthen infrastructure at Shillong Medical College, including facilities such as playgrounds and other essential requirements. He said the government is also preparing a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for a major infrastructure expansion project.
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The minister stated that Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma has directed officials to prepare the DPR at the earliest, adding that the expansion work is likely to be carried out in phases due to the scale of the project.
He also thanked the Lady Keane Welfare Centre and Red Cross Hospital authorities for agreeing to provide land to facilitate the expansion of Shillong Civil Hospital, which currently houses Shillong Medical College.
