USTM urges Meghalaya Govt to provide Rs 233 cr repayable loan for medical college 

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaOctober 4, 2024

The University of Science and Technology, Meghalaya (USTM) has requested the state government to provide an interest free loan of Rs 233 crore for the PA Sangma International Medical College and Hospital, which is the first private medical college in the state.

Informing this during a news conference on Friday, USTM chancellor Mahbubul Hoque said, “We are expecting (financial assistance of) Rs 233 crore as interest free loan. So in 20 years, we will be returning the entire amount (to the government of Meghalaya).”

According to him, the government of Meghalaya has agreed to extend this financial support to the private medical college. However, the government is yet to finalise the matter.

He said that the National Medical Commission of India under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has granted approval to the medical college and hospital to launch the MBBS program with 150 intake from the 2024 academic session.

“This medical college is in collaboration with the government of Meghalaya with an understanding…although we have not yet signed the MoU,” Hoque said while thanking the government of Meghalaya and its officials for their support to the university. 

He further informed, “Besides the health care facilities, free of cost, for patients of Meghalaya in general health care treatment, we are offering 40 MBBS seats to the state of Meghalaya, of which 25 seats we are offering completely free of cost…”

“For example, in a Government college the fees structure is very less, maybe Rs 1 lakh or Rs 120000, that amount is considered by the government of Meghalaya, we will be offering 25 seats.

Remaining 15 seats will be the half of the university fee structure, so this 25 plus 15 seats all together 40,” he added.

Further, the chancellor has also highlighted the proposal of the university to set up modern infrastructures.

“We are coming up with a very big campus for the super special facility, where all such kinds of transplant facilities starting from kidney, then organ transplantation, liver transplants and all such kinds of transplantation facility will come from the next year,” he said.

Meanwhile, the chancellor also informed that the university will also start its nursing courses this year.

“In the nursing program, nearly 350 nurses have joined of which, I think nearly 275 nurses are from the state of Meghalaya alone and they are doing extremely well,” he added.