Tura, October 1 (Daily Kiran) : The Tura Medical College in Meghalaya is currently facing a significant shortage of faculty members, with only 37 teaching staff available instead of the 97 required to admit 50 MBBS students each year, as mandated by the National Medical Commission (NMC). This issue was discussed in detail during a review meeting chaired by Dr. Zoram Beda, the Commissioner and Secretary of Health and Family Welfare, on Thursday.
According to the Health and Family Welfare Department, the lack of teaching faculty is one of the biggest challenges in launching the medical college. Efforts to address this shortage have been ongoing for over a year, with multiple initiatives aimed at identifying qualified faculty members.
These efforts include reaching out to interested and qualified doctors currently employed elsewhere, issuing three separate advertisements for faculty recruitment, and engaging in discussions with local doctors in Tura to explore solutions for the shortage of specialist doctors.
Despite these initiatives, the number of available faculty members remains significantly below the NMC’s requirements. In light of this situation, the review meeting suggested expediting the completion of the 150-bed and 80-bed hospital blocks being constructed at the Tura Civil Hospital. This would ensure that the large healthcare infrastructure being developed in Tura can begin serving the community, even if the medical college is not fully operational right away.
Officials indicated that these additional facilities would substantially increase the bed capacity at Tura Civil Hospital, which is being prepared to function as a teaching hospital linked to the proposed medical college. Strengthening the hospital’s infrastructure is expected to address both immediate healthcare needs and the long-term requirements of the medical college.
Senior officials from the Health and Family Welfare Department attended the review meeting, including the Director of Health Services, the Medical Superintendents of Tura Civil Hospital and Tura MCH Hospital, and members of the Manpower Assessment Committee. As the hospital infrastructure progresses, officials are committed to continuing their efforts to secure the necessary teaching staff.
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