Shillong, Nov 27: In a major landmark towards operationalising of the Shillong Medical College, the state government on Wednesday approved the Meghalaya Health Service Academic Rules, 2024 for recruitment of faculty members to run the college.
The government is spending over ₹16 crore to start the medical college with 100 MBBS seats from next year.
Informing about the cabinet approval to the rules, health minister Ampareen Lyngdoh said, “Now we go to the next stage to prepare for operationalisation of the medical college at the earliest.”
The minister informed that the department has already tendered the various components of constructions that need to be put in place for starting the medical college.
Admitting some challenges in obtaining affiliation for Shillong Medical College, she said the Health department had been looking at all options to ensure its operationalisation by 2025-26 academic year.
Meanwhile, she ruled out the cabinet decision has anything to do with the PA Sangma International College and Medical College (PIMC) set up at University of Science and Technology Meghalaya (USTM).
The government has already made public the details of operationalisation of private medical colleges, she said.
The minister while assuring availability of in-house faculty for starting the academic year also said the government would explore lateral system for higher administrative posts.
On the status of Tura Medical College, Lyngdoh said, “We are determined to operationalise Tura Medical College… a few modalities need to be worked out.”
She also said the department has sought more land to turn the civil hospital into a more modernised building.
Dental Health Service Rules
Meanwhile, the state cabinet also approved the Meghalaya Dental Health Service Rules.
The Health department did not have any dental health service rule yet.
“This document now enables us to speed up all pending activities with regards to promotions and with regards to recruitment,” said the minister.
