Shillong, Oct 10: The Commissioner and Secretary to the Government of Meghalaya., Health and Family Welfare department, recently called the review meeting to review the progress of operationalisation of Tura Medical College. The meeting al so welcomed Dr Balatalin Lyngdoh, the newty appointed Director of Health Services Medical Education and Research.
During the review, it was informed that the overall physical progress of the project stands at 84%, The 80- bedded and 150-bedded hospital blocks within the Civil Hospital, Tura campus stand at $59% and 25% respectively.
The hostels and Type-5 staff quarters at Doldagre are likely to be completed by 31/December/ 2026, the academic block by 31st Murch, 2027, and the remaining staff quarters Type 2,3 and 4 by 30/ June/ 2027. The 80-bedded hospital block is expected to be completed by 31st December, 2026 and the 150-bedded block by 30th June, 2027.
It was noted that despite earnest and sustained efforts, the operationalisation of the college continues to be held buck by a severe shortage of qualified teaching faculty the Department has issued three rounds of advertisements.
In addition, over the last five months, doctors serving in Garo Hils have worked closely with the Department in search of a solution to the shortage A good number of the in-service doctors mapped for Tura Medical College are presently posted in Primary Health Centres, Health and Wellness Centres and hospitals, primarily in Garo Hills outside West Garo Hills.
Any redeployment of these doctors will have to ensure that there is no disruption of health services in other districts of Garo Hills Even after five months of this collective exercise, the shortage against the 97 faculty posts prescribed by the National Medical Commission (NMC) for an annual intake of 50 MBBS seats stands at 86% for Professors, 85% for Associate Professors.
There has to be 52% for Senior Residents and 36% for Assistant Professors With most senior faculty posts still vacant, meeting the NMC requirements through the present recruitment efforts alone remains a serious challenge.
The meeting expressed concern that for each academic year the college remains non-functional, a full batch of MBBS seats is lost to the students of the State The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, sanctioned Tura Medical College for an annual intake of 150 MBBS seats, however, it has so far not been possible to meet the teaching faculty requirement even for an intake of 50 MBBS seats The substantial public investment in the project must translate into seats for the youth of Meghalaya without further delay.
The Commissioner and Secretary emphasised that the Government’s overriding objective remains that the students and people of the State derive maximum benefit from Tura Medical College, He added that State quota seats will be offered at the same fee as Shillong Medical College, that is, 33,000 per annum, that Tura Civil Hospital, which will serve as the teaching hospital, will continue under Government control, and that the Academic and Administrative Block at Doldagre will remain under 100% Government ownership.
The meeting was attended by Dr Rezina Ch Marak, MCs, Joint Secretary, Health and Family Welfare Department and Chairperson, Manpower Assessment Committee, Dr. Lumrilyne M Umlong DHS (MI) Dr Carolinda langrai, DHS (MCHRFW), Dr Baladalin Lyngdoh, DiES (MER, Dr J B Sangma, MS, Tura Cival Hospital; Dr. B Momin, MS, Tura MCH Hospital, and Dr. Nanitha R. Marak, District Tuberculosis Officer, TB 1Hospital, Tura, stated in the press statement issued by the Under Secretary to the Govt of Meghalaya Health and Family Welfare Department.
