The first “homegrown” private medical college in Northeast India is all set to be established in Manipur at Langol, Imphal West by the Shija Hospitals and Research Institute (SHRI).
Announcing this on Sunday, chairman and managing director of Shija Dr Palin Kh said that permission for establishing the medical college was granted by the National Medical Commission after due inspection and screening process under the name "Shija Academy of Health Sciences".
The medical college is likely to start its first session in December with a seat intake capacity of 150 students every year.
For seat allotment, Dr Palin said SHRI has proposed to the government a three type quota system. Of the total seats, 20 per cent will be reserved for government nominees, 65 per cent for the management nominee and 15 per cent for Non-Resident India (NRI).
The fees structure will be fixed equivalent to the nearest private medical college, which is in Kolkata, he added.
"The main purpose of establishing the new medical college is to produce strong empathetic, compassionate, socially and environmentally responsible research-oriented medical graduates and postgraduates for the new era of health sciences, affordable quality healthcare, and medical value tourism to help save the state's exchequer and clusi growth of the region," he stated.
The SHRI managing director pointed out that the state has over 4000 medical aspirants every year. Of this, around 150 students are selected as government nominees and over 400 students are seeking admission outside the state and country for private medical studies and it is estimated that about 700 medical students are studying in foreign countries.
In this process approximately, over Rs. 500 crores are spent outside the state annually for healthcare and medical education, he said adding the amount will be more if expenditure of dental, nursing, paramedical, and health management studies outside the state are included.
The medical college will not only generate employment but also help the state to develop as one of the global healthcare destinations and a world-class healthcare service at an affordable cost to attract domestic as well as global medical tourists, added Palin.
Moreover, it will also provide ample opportunities for capacity building of the local population and can supply the healthcare workforce to developed nations and will also help in the generation of foreign exchange that will contribute towards inclusive economic growth of the state, he continued.
The managing director further said, in order to enhance a good bond with the neighbouring country (Myanmar) through health care, it is also planning to include reservation for students from Myanmar by consulting with the Ministry of External Affairs.
Palin further announced that Shija will soon have a satellite 100 bedded hospital at the international border (Moreh) to cater the primary and secondary healthcare for the border areas of India and Myanmar and also a Rural Health Centre within a 40 kilometer radius.
