Shillong, Aug 27: Tura Medical College has just 40 faculty out of a mandated strength of 97, putting its first MBBS session still quite some distance away, the Meghalaya Assembly was informed today.
Health and Family Welfare Minister Wailadmiki Shylla today said that the government is working to operationalise Tura Medical College and Hospital at the earliest but a definitive timeline for the start cannot be given at this stage due to shortage of faculty.
Replying to a call attention notice moved by Gambegre MLA Dr Mehtab Chandee A Sangma, the minister said the project was sanctioned by the central government in 2017-18 for Rs 189 crore, with 90 percent of the funds to be provided by the Centre and 10 percent by the state. A deal was signed with TCIL in December 2014 for design, construction and supervision for 100 MBBS seats, and the total estimated cost prepared by TCIL was Rs 234 crore, with the state agreeing to fund the excess.
Shylla cited several reasons for the delay. At first, land was the biggest hurdle. Tura Civil Hospital could not be upgraded due to encroachment and land identified at Balagre was more than 17km from the hospital, which did not meet Medical Council of India (since replaced by the new National Medical Commission) norms. Land was finally identified at Doldegre in 2017 and forest clearance received in January 2019. However, work was delayed due to anti-Citizenship Amendment Act protests in 2019 and the Covid-19 pandemic the following year. Currently 83 percent of the physical progress of the project is complete.
To be able to offer 50 MBBS seats, the college requires 97 faculty. The state government approved 59 contractual teaching posts, comprising 14 professors, 20 associate professors and 25 assistant professors. Three rounds of rolling advertisements were issued in five national and three local newspapers. The government also consulted in-service doctors in Garo Hills to augment faculty strength.
As on August 24, against the requirement of 97 faculty, Tura Medical College has just three professors, three associate professors, 16 assistant professors, 10 tutors or demonstrators and eight senior residents, totalling 40.
Shylla said this remains insufficient to meet NMC requirements for operationalisation. By comparison, Shillong Medical College, also with 50 MBBS seats, currently has 84 faculty in position against the required 97.
