Govt may bring ordinance to operationalise medical college
Shillong, Oct 19: The state government has decided to frame an Act soon to regulate medical colleges, in the wake of the state’s first private medical college launched by University of Science and Technology Meghalaya (USTM).
The Act will regulate operations of both government as well as private medical colleges, according to the decision taken in a cabinet meeting chaired by chief minister Conrad Sangma on Friday.
PA Sangma International Medical College of USTM got approval from the National Medical Commission (NMC) to start MBBS course for 2024-25 session with an intake of 150 students.
The Act will monitor allocation of MBBS seats, course fees among other aspects of medical colleges, said health and family welfare minister Ampareen Lyngdoh after the cabinet meeting.
“We will try our best to complete the process before the end of October,” she said adding that the matter may come up again in the cabinet on Wednesday next in view of the little time left for starting the MBBS course.
“We will have to fast track the Act hence the cabinet will meet again. And if necessary, we will have to bring an ordinance… to operationalise the USTM’s medical college,” she said.
The minister also clarified that the urgency of the matter is not because of the 40 or 30 seats offered by the medical college, but there’s a need for an Act to guide the state on the matter.
“Certain states give 60% and certain states give 30%…we have to decide as a state which is the model of operation in our state,” the minister maintained.
