SHILLONG, AUG 27: Meghalaya Health Minister Wailadmiki Shylla on Thursday told the Assembly that the Tura Medical College and Hospital cannot be given a definite date for starting its first MBBS batch due to a major shortage of teaching faculty, even as 83% of infrastructure work is complete.
Shylla was laying a statement relating to a calling attention notice under Rule 54(1) moved by NPP legislator from Gambegre Dr Mehtab Chandee A Sangma, who sought details on infrastructure status, faculty recruitment, readiness of the teaching hospital, management model and timeline for 2027-28 academic session.
The minister informed that the project was sanctioned in FY 2017-18 for Rs 189 crore – Rs 170.10 crore central share and Rs 19 crore state share – under the scheme for new medical colleges attached with district hospitals.
The MoU with TCIL was signed in December 2014 for a 100-seat college at an estimated cost of Rs 234 crore, with the state agreeing to gap fund the extra amount.
He said finding suitable land delayed the project by years. The initial plan to upgrade Tura Civil Hospital failed due to encroachment. The Balagre site was found unsuitable as it was 17 km from the hospital, violating NMC’s 10-km norm for two land parcels. Finally, land at Doldegre was identified in 2017 and forest clearance came on Jan 22, 2019.
The project was further hit by CAA-NRC protests in Dec 2019 and Covid-19 in March 2020, he said.
As per the status report, the academic block is 80% ready, girls and boys hostels 78% each, Type-5 quarters and Dean residence 99% each, while staff quarters Type-2 and Type-3 are at 50% and Type-4 at 40%. The electrical sub-station is 85% complete.
For the new hospital blocks, the 80-bedded block is at 40% and the 150-bedded block at 25%.The existing teaching hospital base comprises 200 beds at Tura Civil Hospital and 50 beds at Tura MCH Hospital, against NMC requirement of 220 beds for 50 MBBS seats.
On recruitment, Shylla said a Manpower Assessment Committee headed by Joint Secretary Dr Rezina Ch. Marak was constituted on Aug 21, 2025. On its recommendation, 59 contractual posts were created.
“Three rounds of rolling advertisements were issued in 5 national and 3 local newspapers,” Shylla said, adding that consultations were also held with in-service doctors in Garo Hills.
Despite this, he said, “Faculty strength remains insufficient.
“For a 50-seat college, NMC requires 97 faculty. Tura has only 40 – 3 Professors against 14, 3 Associate Professors against 20, 16 Assistant Professors against 25, 10 Tutors against 15 and 8 Senior Residents against 23 – leaving a gap of 57.
In contrast, Shillong Medical College for 50 seats had 83 faculty during NMC inspection and 84 as of Aug 24, 2026, against 97 required.
“Government has earnestly tried to operationalise Tura Medical College as a Government Medical College over the last one year. In view of the present faculty position, it may not be feasible to provide a definitive timeline at this stage,” Shylla added, reiterating that efforts will continue to meet NMC norms.
