SHILLONG:
Nongpoh MLA Mayralborn Syiem, on April 21, stated that medical colleges should be established in Meghalaya, particularly in Ri Bhoi district and that individuals should pursue careers in the healthcare industry so that we would have our own people who would look into it when such a college stepped into the picture.
He claimed that since 2012–2013, there have been efforts to establish a medical college in Meghalaya. While the Tura Medical College has begun to take shape, the Shillong Medical College has not yet seen the light of day. However, there is hope that a central or state aided college, will come up soon.
Further, Syiem encouraged students and professionals to pursue studies in health sector, adding that “Once the medical college starts, be it Shillong or Tura, I am of the opinion that we should have a home resource person, lecturer, faculty so, right from now home people have to start exploring or pursue further students, so whenever we have the medical college in place, we have our own people to work in it.”
Citing the example of the newly inaugurated AIIMs in Guwahati, Syiem said that many medical professionals, faculty from different parts of North East have been called by the government of Assam to serve the state.
Lastly, Syiem hopes that the MDA 2.0 government will work to ensure that a medical college is built in Ri Bhoi, which has been designated as an “Aspirational District” by NITI Aayog.