Shillong, Feb 5: Health Minister Ampareen Lyngdoh on Wednesday said the government will recruit more specialist doctors in the coming days even as she assured that six years down the line, Meghalaya will no longer have shortage of doctors once the Shillong and Tura medical colleges are set up.
Speaking to reporters, Lyngdoh said, “We are on the job and once everything is in the process and in order, we will be recruiting more specialists.”
She informed that the matter has been taken up with the chief minister Conrad K Sangma for getting the necessary financial approvals for contractual appointments.
After chairing a review meeting with officials of the health department, Lyngdoh said, “We have already discussed this matter. Now the cabinet has come up with certain notifications, which probably need a review. For example, no appointments to certain slabs of employees without cabinet approval so we cannot give other than contractual appointments to certain categories of specialists. This could include not only doctors but we are looking at technicians, nurses and all of them because if you are going to hire somebody on a contract basis, we need to be careful about their privileges. We need to be concerned about all of that.”
Stating that the medical colleges are going to happen soon, Lyngdoh said, “Meghalaya now will not have this shortage (after) a good six years down the line. We have start already. The USTM has begun its program. There also we are going to have very big advantageous because bond signed with them are conditioned by government supervisions.”
“Not only are we starting the MBBS program, we have also been advised to have the senior residency, the junior residency, the specialisation, the MD program – all running simultaneously. So all of that will go to good stead and we will be in a better position,” she added.
Asked about the bond issue, the minister said, “We have already been on this page before. We have said government sponsored MBBS candidates are obligated to return home and serve the people of the state. We stand by that as nothing has changed.”
“Now the only thing is we need to zero down and find out whether or not an MBBS student who has gone on a state sponsored state also has to sign a bond with their corresponding colleges. So, if somebody is going to UP for MBBS on a sponsored candidate seat, they likely will also have their obligation there. So, we are now trying to figure this out but the moment our own medical colleges come and start rolling out its course and programmes, we will not be discussing these shortfalls in a very few years,” she reiterated while assuring that the government is determined to start the medical colleges at the earliest.
On sending doctors for training to other states, Lyngdoh said, “Now, we are not only working with Chennai. We have also started short term specialisation certified courses with other institutes. Now we are also looking at a few other institutes if my memory serves me right. We have also signed with Apollo for certain specialisation, we have also signed a few other institutes.”
