By TC News Desk
Agartala, 25th June 2024: Transport Minister Sushanta Choudhury on Tuesday firmly dismissed accusations made by Leader of the Opposition Jitendra Choudhury regarding the alleged privatization of a government medical college. The minister criticized the CPIM accusing them of spreading misinformation to mislead the public ahead of the National Medical Council (NMC) delegates’ visit.
Addressing the concerns, Minister Choudhury clarified, “No state government can approve the establishment of medical colleges. This responsibility lies solely with the National Medical Council, formerly known as the Medical Council of India. The NMC delegates are expected to inspect the proposed medical college site near Agartala soon.”
He further explained the involvement of Shantiniketan Medical College, emphasizing the legality of the process. “Shantiniketan Medical College, already experienced in medical education, has shown interest in establishing a college here, and our government has welcomed this initiative. Everything done so far is completely legal,” he stated.
The minister rebuffed the CPIM’s claims, pointing out similar practices in other states. “In Kerala, governed by the CPIM, private medical college students are allowed to observe autopsies in government medical colleges. In Bangalore, Kasturba Medical College uses a local government hospital for teaching purposes. This model is common across many cities, including Pune,” he noted.
Minister Choudhury highlighted the need for private investment in Tripura’s health sector, given the state’s doctor-patient ratio. “With Agartala Government Medical College and Tripura Medical College together providing only 225 seats, we are far behind the WHO standard of one doctor per thousand people. We currently have one doctor for every three thousand people, with only 1,189 doctors in our health department,” he explained.
Addressing concerns about the potential impact on healthcare services, the minister assured that the Indira Gandhi Memorial hospital in Agartala would not be taken over by Shantiniketan Medical College. “They already operate a medical college in Bolpur, West Bengal, using the local government hospital for teaching purposes. They seek a similar MoU with the Tripura health department. The healthcare services at IGM hospital will remain unaffected,” he concluded.
