Medical college to be set up on PPP mode in Meghalaya

Shillong: Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma today laid the foundation stone for the states first medical college to be set up in a PPP mode here.

Addressing the function, the chief minister said establishing infrastructures and taking up projects on Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) mode is a very challenging task for a government as the concept of PPP model is still new for many.

He, however, added that Meghalaya government has successfully taken up many developmental programmes in the state on a PPP mode and that the establishment of a medical college in Shillong and Tura will bridge the shortage of medical professionals while providing better health facilities to the people of the state.

Till date Meghalaya does not have a state-run medical college except for the Central Government-funded North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health and Medical Sciences near here.

The chief minister said, "Having such medical colleges in our own state will not compel our beloved people to travel to Delhi, Vellore or Chennai for tertiary health care. It is not just for medical students but for a comprehensive health care system that we need to put in place for our people."

The state government had signed an agreement with Kolkata-based KPC Medical College for setting up of a 500-bedded medical college which would be set up at the sprawling campus of the present R P Chest T B Hospital in the heart of the city.

According to the MoU, initially the student intake of 100 will be taken up of which 40 per cent will be reserved for students from Meghalaya.

The state government intends to come up with another medical college in the Garo Hills region under the PPP-mode to cater to improve the health care system in the state.