Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma announced that the cabinet today approved amendments to the Mandatory Medical Service Policy for medical students who receive state government sponsorship or get into institutes through the state quota.
Meghalaya has had a persistent problem getting these medical professionals to adhere to the terms of their bond as, once they are qualified, many are reluctant to serve the community through the public sector healthcare system, especially if posted to rural areas. Under the current system, MBBS graduates had to serve 5 years or pay Rs 30 lakh as a penalty. Postgraduate specialists had to serve a minimum of 3 years or pay Rs 1 crore, while those with a postgraduate diploma were required to serve 1 year or pay Rs 20 lakh.
Under the new policy, the agreement between state and student will no longer be called a bond. Doctors will, under the policy, be able to count work for private not-for-profit organisations or central government hospitals like NEIGRIHMS as part of their service requirement.
The CM said that this amendment is aimed at encouraging more doctors to remain within the state and he expressed optimism that the number of practising doctors in Meghalaya would double in the next five years.
OTHER CABINET DECISIONS:
Meghalaya Medical Attendance Rules 2021 amendment approved. Previously, reimbursement rates followed the Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) criteria for all ailments and treatments. Now ailments have been classified into different categories. For serious, life-threatening emergencies and rare surgical interventions, the CGHS rates will no longer apply. Instead, the full bill amount will be cleared based on the actual treatment cost approved by the DHS (MI).
Meghalaya Police Act amendment approved to bring state in compliance with Supreme Court ruling that mandates a minimum tenure of 2 years for the Director General of Police, irrespective of the date of superannuation.
Amendments to the Meghalaya Registration of Birth and Death Rules approved to adopt a digital registration system to improve the accuracy of birth certificates.
The Directorate of Health Services (Research) will be renamed as the Directorate of Medical Education and Research ahead of the start of the first academic year of the Shillong Medical College. The directorate will oversee medical education, admissions and overall monitoring.
The Meghalaya State Investment Promotion and Facilitation Bill 2025, which was previously passed as an ordinance, was brought as a bill in the cabinet. Amendments were also made to the Meghalaya Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act to increase the corpus fund from Rs 500 crore to Rs 1,005 crore, ensuring sufficient budget provisions for government spending.
Changes were approved to the Meghalaya Goods and Services Tax Amendment Bill 2025 and Water Prevention and Control of Pollution Act to maintain consistency with national regulations.
