Northeast India’s first private medical college coming up in Manipur

Our Correspondent
Imphal, Nov. 8 (EMN): Manipur is all set to introduce the first ever home-grown private medical college in Northeast India to provide adequate medical facilities to the people of the region and neighbouring states by December.

Informing this during a press conference, Dr. Palin Khundongbam, Chairman and Managing Director of Shija Hospitals and Research Institute (SHRI) on Nov. 6 said that the objective is to produce strong, empathetic, compassionate, socially and environmentally responsible research-oriented medical professionals for the new era of health care services and help save the state’s exchequer and inclusive growth of the region.

The new medical college will function under the name Shija Academy of Health Sciences (SAHS), he said.

Citing the requirement of doctors in the Northeast, Dr. Palin said that there is demand for more than 10,000 doctors in the region considering WHO’s recommendation of doctor to population ratio of 1:1000.

Presently, there are 35,396 registered doctors against the requirement of 45,000 in the entire NE which houses about 16 medical colleges including eight in Assam and two each in Manipur and Tripura. There are about 440 medical colleges in the country.

On the other hand in Manipur, only 150 students out of over 4000 medical aspirants in the state are selected as government nominees and more than 400 Manipuri students are going outside the state and country to study medical education every year.

He added that about 700 Manipuri students are studying medical studies in China alone. At the same time, the approximate annual expenditure on healthcare and medical education crossed INR 500 crore, he said. ‘The amount will be more if we include expenditure of dental, nursing, paramedical and other health management studies outside the state’.

The SAHS will have an academic block and an independent subsidised 700-bedded teaching hospital, which will be constructed within two years.

SHRI which was established 36 years ago as a clinic attached to a pharmacy, is now serving as a government empanelled super specialty 350-bedded hospital (including 60 critical care beds), which is supported by 1399 caregivers including 165 full-time doctors. A satellite 100-bedded hospital will also be established at Moreh, the international border town to cater the healthcare for the border areas of India and Myanmar.

On the intake capacity of SAHS, the doctor said that the National Medical Commission has permitted 150 students per year from the academic session 2021-2022. Stating that hostels and other infrastructures are ready for the session (likely from Dec. 15, 2021), he said that they’ve submitted the proposal for the fee structures and seat sharing etc. to the government for their approval.

The new medical college will not only generate employment but also help the state to develop as one of the global healthcare destinations. The present location of the SHRI in Imphal has become a productive place for the residents.