Moa Jamir
After regular directions and observation from the Gauhati High Court, Kohima Bench hearing a batch of Public Interest Litigation (PIL) on health issues and infrastructure in Nagaland, the State Government seems to have submitted a ‘definite’ plan to start the academic session of the first medical college from next year.
The order passed by the Division Bench comprising of Justice Songkhupchung Serto and Justice Kakheto Sema on August 3 informed that the State Government and the Health and Family Welfare Department submitted to the Court, ‘revised timelines’ regarding the progress of work as well as recruitment of workforce.
Accordingly, if the targets are achieved as planned, the first batch of MBBS (Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery) would be admitted for the session 2023-24, with the construction of all projects proposed to be completed by March 30, 2023, and recruitment process to be done by September this year. The Court was also informed of the formation of a Society under the nomenclature ‘Nagaland Institute of Medical Sciences and Research” (NIMSR) as well as steps being taken to get the Letter of Intent (LOI) and Letter of Permission (LOP) for the establishment of Medical College from the National Medical Commission (NMC), a mandatory procedure.
Meanwhile, on August 6, Nagaland’s Health & Family Welfare Minister, S Pangnyu Phom informed that the online submission of application to the NMC to obtain the LOP to start the college from the academic year 2023-24 has been "completed.”
Likewise, speaking at the Seventh Meeting of the Governing Council of NITI Aayog in New Delhi on August 7, Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio stated that the State has taken steps to ensure that the Medical College is started from the next academic session.
Hence, on paper and pledges, everything seems to be in place to start the course next year. However, given past precedence, one cannot help being skeptical unless everything is in place in actuality.
For instance, while the State Government had earlier assured the Court that it planned to start the first MBBS batch from the 2022-23 session and the Chief Minister also made a similar statement during the State Assembly in February 2021. It did not materialise. Incidentally, the foundation stone for the first medical college was laid by Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio in 2014.
Despite having a ‘plan’ to start the session from this year, the Court had earlier observed in February that the LOI and LOP have not yet been “obtained and formation of society under whom the management of the Medical College has to be placed has not been formed till today.”
Taking into account the progress made so far, it was also skeptical, observing that “starting of the Medical College this year with first batch of MBBS, in these infrastructures would not be possible.”
While several factors were cited by the State Government including non-completion of the college building and other infrastructural requirements, non-recruitment of human resources (HR) and non-procurement of the LOI and LOP, as per the August 3 order, the State Government seems to be running out of excuses.
Hopefully, the State Government would stick to the timeline this time around and the first batch of MBBS starts from the next academic session and contribute towards a healthier Nagaland. The State Government must also be confident in its ability to run the institutions on its own, before being ‘taken over and run as a Central Institute or as Regional AIIMS” as proposed by the Chief Minister in the NITI Aayog’s meeting. Needless to say, the availability of a medical college within the State will ensure improvement in several health parameters, intrinsically linked to the overall progress of the economy.
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