Shillong, Sep 11: A shortfall in funding and a lack of qualified staff are the reasons the state government had to adopt a public-private partnership (PPP) model for the under development Tura Medical College, Health and Family Welfare Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh told the Assembly here today.
Lyngdoh was replying to a short duration discussion initiated by Leader of the Opposition Dr Mukul Sangma. The Trinamool Congress (TMC), which Dr Sangma leads, is sharply against the PPP model for the college, claiming that it will not be in the interest of poor patients and students.
Lyngdoh said that for some “strange” reason the term PPP is not acceptable to the people of Meghalaya in all spheres.
Tura Medical College was envisioned to offer 150 MBBS places but will now start with just 50. Estimated costs of the college ballooned from Rs 189 crore to Rs 397.13 crore. The central government provided Rs 179 crore and the rest had to be sourced through or from the Meghalaya government. The PPP model helped the state to cover the gap in funding.
Lyngdoh also pointed out that to start a 50-seat medical college it would need 14 professors, 20 associate professors, 25 assistant professors, tutors, 15 demonstrators, 23 senior residents for a total of 97 just for running the academic concerns of the medical college.
The minister also told the House that in 2023 the state government held an in-house survey of doctors who were willing to come forward to join Tura Medical College but only 20 expressed their willingness to serve as faculty.
Meanwhile, the Chief Minister said that as a government it is always its top priority to ensure that the citizens get the best service possible.
Sangma told the House that after the government examined the entire process of activating and operationalising the Shillong and Tura Medical College many challenges came up.
“There is a huge challenge when it comes to manpower, specifically for the Tura Medical College. Even to run the PHCs, CHCs, Civil Hospitals, MCH we don’t have manpower even for basic services to be provided,” he said, adding that Garo Hills requires 90 specialist doctors but only has 54.
