Shillong: Struggling with acute shortage of doctors, the Meghalaya government is now contemplating to request New Delhi to allocate more number of MBBS seats for the students of the state.
Meghalaya health minister Ampareen Lyngdoh said the state government is exploring the possibilities of blocking or buying more MBBS seats for the students in different medical colleges across India.
Lyngdoh is of the opinion that there is an immediate need for the government to invest on the aspiring doctors, so that, they can come back after completion of their courses, and serve the people of Meghalaya.
At present, the Meghalaya government has only 96 seats booked for the students of the state in different medical colleges across India.
The minister expressed her concern over the trend of the Meghalaya students not returning to the state after completion of their MBBS courses to serve the people, especially in the rural areas,
Though the state government has a system of signing of bonds with the MBBS students, still some of the students don’t come back to the state to serve the rural populace.
The Meghalaya government has been struggling with scarcity of doctors because it is one of the very few states in India, which does not have a single medical college.
The NEIGRIHMS, which is located in Shillong, is a post graduate medical institution like the AIIMS, has limited MBBS seats for the students of Meghalaya.
Meanwhile, Megahalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma has urged the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to recognise NEIGRIHMS as an ‘Institute of National Importance’.
During a meeting with Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Mansukh Mandaviya in New Delhi, Sangma presented a memorandum that emphasizing that NEIGRIHMS is providing healthcare not only to Meghalaya but also to the neighbouring states.
At present, NEIGRIHMS is tagged as a ‘Centre of Excellence’ by the Parliament.
