‘Where there is a will, there is a way’ – First medical college in Nagaland gets approval from MARB

Kohima, 19 April (MTNews): 9 years after Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio laid the foundation stone for Nagaland Medical College in 2014, Minister for Health and Family Welfare P Paiwang Konyak announced today that the Medical Assessment & Rating Board (MARB), National Medical Commission (NMC) has approved 100 MBBS seats for the academic year 2022-24.

“The dream of having a medical college in Nagaland has become a reality today,” announced an overjoyed Konyak.

“We will be sending the letter of acceptance within one week to enable MARB to issue a Letter of Permission for 100 MBBS seats for the academic year 2023-24,” he said.

Konyak also praised the team’s work and urged the engineering wing and contractors to complete the entire complex as soon as possible so that the Medical College may begin operations by June or July 2023.

According to the Agreement, he informed that the Medical College must be finished by 31 May, 2023.

“It is a historic day for the people of Nagaland to start Medical College after 60 years of statehood,” said an excited Y Kikheto Sema, IAS, Commissioner & Secretary, Health & Family Welfare.

It should be emphasized that this ‘historic day’ follows a string of critiques, with Nagaland infamously becoming the only state in the entire country without a medical college.

“Where there is a will, there is a way,” the Commissioner & Secretary, Health & Family Welfare said, referring to the construction of the Nagaland Institute of Medical Science and Research (NIMSR), also known as Kohima Medical College, which, according to him, went from receiving a “Show Cause Notice” from NMC to being called “One of the best government hospitals” in the entire country in terms of infrastructure.

According to Sema, the MARB of NMC paid a surprise visit to NIMSR, Kohima on 10 January 2023 and was displeased with the facility and manpower, and the state was issued a ‘show-cause notice’ on 1 February.

As a result, Sema stated that he submitted the Agreement, Affidavit, and compliance report on 7 February on behalf of the State Government, stating that all required infrastructures, manpower, equipment, teaching hospital, and so on will be ready by 31 May 2023 in order to begin the 100 MBBS seats for the Academic session 2023-24.

“The 2nd compliance Agreement, Affidavit was sent to the NMC on 6 March,” he added.

Then, on 27 March, he said, a second surprise NMC evaluation team arrived but was satisfied with the significant improvement of infrastructure, hospital, manpower, and so on in a record length of time.

Meanwhile, Nagaland is constructing another medical college in Mon. According to the H&FW Minister, they inspected the Mon Medical College site on 11 April with the department and discovered certain issues in the approach road that have already been corrected.

In terms of the design, the Minister stated that it has been approved and that civil works and construction would begin very soon.

NIMSR Director informs on the number of seats and faculties

According to Dr Soumya Chakraborty, Director of Nagaland Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (NIMSR), out of 100 seats, 15 will be All India Seats and 85 will be for the State of Nagaland, and if All India seats remain vacant, those seats will be assigned to the State.

Speaking about the faculty selection process, the Director stated that there was no conflict of interest and that secrecy was maintained throughout the entire process.

“Screening was done by reputed university recruitment cell people who are not from Nagaland, and the shortlisted candidates were interviewed by experts from AIIMS and other reputed institutions from across the country,” she explained, adding, “We have gone for the best not only for the faculty but also for the equipment, the human and other resources.”

The Commissioner and Secretary Kikheto Sema also stated that the first interview for faculty was held on 14 and 15 February 2023 and that 48 candidates were interviewed, of which 19 qualified and 17 have sent their consent to serve in the Nagaland Medical College.

He stated that the second round of interviews took place on 29 and 30 March, with 44 candidates present, 13 individuals selected, and consent from 12 candidates received.

Meanwhile, the third phase of interviews was held on 14 and 15 April, with 64 candidates appearing and the results will be announced on 20 and 21 April.

Sema stated that a Committee is working on the third grade and others and that it will be put up to the Governing Council and the Cabinet for approval very soon.