Shillong: Meghalaya is set to get its first private medical college, as the National Medical Council (NMC) has granted approval to the PA Sangma International Medical College of the University of Science and Technology, Meghalaya (USTM).
The approval will add 40 additional medical seats to the state for the 2024-25 academic session, bringing the total number of MBBS seats available in Meghalaya to 130.
State Health Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh expressed her delight at the development, stating that the additional seats will provide opportunities for Meghalayan students aspiring to pursue MBBS.
She added that twenty of these seats will be fully funded, while the remaining will be partially funded.
Lyngdoh assured that the state government would soon advertise the admission process for these new seats. “We will inform citizens through the proper channels in the next few days,” she stated.
She also confirmed that the USTM had met all the necessary infrastructure requirements set by the NMC.
Regarding the state government’s financial assistance to USTM, Lyngdoh mentioned that the matter was still under consideration and awaiting the Chief Minister’s decision.
On the delay in establishing state-run medical colleges, the Health Minister said that the government aims to open one institution in the 2024-25 academic year.
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“With the recent approval of the private medical college, there is hope that the second state-run college could begin operations in the 2025-26 session. The Tura Medical College is anticipated to commence in the 2027-2028 session,” she added.
