Few takers for advertisements seeking faculty for Tura Medical College
Shillong, Aug 27: Over 80 per cent of infrastructure work of Tura Medical College and Hospital (TMCH) is complete, but its operationalisation timeline still faces a question due to major shortage of teaching faculty.
Replying to a question in the Assembly, Health Minister Wailadmiki Shylla on Thursday said that definite date cannot be announced for starting its TMCH’s first MBBS batch due to the shortage of teaching faculty.
NPP’s Gambegre MLA Dr Mehtab Chandee A Sangma raised the query seeking details on infrastructure status, faculty recruitment, readiness of the teaching hospital, management model and timeline for 2027-28 academic session.
The project was sanctioned in FY 2017-18 for Rs 189 crore – Rs 170.10 crore central share and Rs 19 crore state share – under the scheme for new medical colleges attached with district hospitals.
An MoU was signed with TCIL in December 2014 for a 100-seat college at an estimated cost of Rs 234 crore, with the state agreeing to gap fund the extra amount.
Stating that search for suitable land delayed the project for years, the minister said the initial plan to upgrade Tura Civil Hospital failed due to encroachment.
The Balagre site was found unsuitable as it was 17 km from the hospital, violating NMC’s 10-km norm for two land parcels. Finally, land at Doldegre was identified in 2017 and forest clearance came on 22 January 2019.
The project was further hit by CAA-NRC protests in December 2019 and Covid-19 in March 2020, he said.
As of now, the 83% of infrastructure work of TMCH is complete, as per a status report.
The academic block is 80% ready, girls and boys hostels 78% each, Type-5 quarters and Dean residence 99% each, while staff quarters Type-2 and Type-3 are at 50% and Type-4 at 40%. The electrical sub-station is 85% complete.
For the new hospital blocks, the 80-bed block is at 40% and the 150-bed block at 25%. The existing teaching hospital base comprises 200 beds at Tura Civil Hospital and 50 beds at Tura MCH Hospital, against NMC requirement of 220 beds for 50 MBBS seats.
On recruitment, Shylla said a Manpower Assessment Committee headed by Joint Secretary Dr Rezina Ch Marak was constituted on 21 August 2025. On its recommendation, 59 contractual posts were created.
“Three rounds of rolling advertisements were issued in 5 national and 3 local newspapers,” Shylla said, adding that consultations were also held with in-service doctors in Garo Hills.
Despite this, he said, “Faculty strength remains insufficient.”
“For a 50-seat college, NMC requires 97 faculty. Tura has only 40 – 3 Professors against 14, 3 Associate Professors against 20, 16 Assistant Professors against 25, 10 Tutors against 15 and 8 Senior Residents against 23 – leaving a gap of 57.
In contrast, Shillong Medical College for 50 seats had 83 faculty during NMC inspection and 84 as of 24 August 2026, against 97 required.
“Government has earnestly tried to operationalise Tura Medical College as a Government Medical College over the last one year. In view of the present faculty position, it may not be feasible to provide a definitive timeline at this stage,” Shylla added, reiterating that efforts will continue to meet NMC norms.
