Sponsored medical students, doctors still avoiding service in state

Staff Reporter

Shillong, Sept 19: Over 443 medical students and doctors sponsored by the State government have failed to join the state health services.

This was informed by the Minister in charge of Health & Family Welfare Ampareen Lyngdoh while replying to a starred question tabled in the Assembly today.

She said the reasons that the sponsored medical students and doctors by the government have not joined the state health services are: “pursuing of post-graduate studies directly after completion of MBBS studies, students who have completed compulsory internship are required to serve compulsory bond in their respective place/state of study and student pursuing senior resident doctor (SRD).”

Lyngdoh informed that the total number of medical students belonging to the unreserved or general category who have been sponsored by the government to pursue medical studies till date is 237 (batch 1995-96 to 2023-24)

Out of this, only 12 (from the batch 1995-96 to 2017-18) have joined the state health services while 147 have refused to join, she added.

On the steps taken by the government to ensure sponsored doctors do serve the state, Lyngdoh said the government is executing a bond agreement and notices have been served to the MBBS students who have not reported/not joined with effect from 1995-1996 to 2012-2013.

Meanwhile, the minister informed that around 400 doctors have been recruited by the Meghalaya Medical Services Recruitment Board (MMSRB) in its first recruitment drive.

“In the second round around 50 specialists and 70 medical officers will be recruited,” she said.

She said that the total number of medical students sponsored by the government in different medical colleges of the country is 1,650 (batch 1995-96 to 2023-24).

Of these, only 948 have joined the state health services, she added.

HC asks Jowai Municipal Board how it is disposing garbage

The Meghalaya High Court today directed the Jowai Municipal Board to file an affidavit to indicate how the garbage is being disposed of at the moment in Jowai town.

Hearing a PIL filed by the Synjuk Ki Waheh Shnong Jowai, the division bench said that despite the Jowai Municipality’s assertion that a better schedule for garbage collection is now in place, the petitioner complained that collection takes place only several times a month, rather than several times a week.

Despite previous observations, both the Jowai Municipality and the State appear to be rather indifferent to the plight of the residents in Jowai, it said.

The Court said since the Municipality claims that a better schedule is in operation and seriously disputes the submission made on behalf of the petitioner, the relevant schedule should be disclosed by way of an affidavit when the matter appears a week hence.

“The schedule should indicate the localities where trucks are assigned, the registration numbers of the trucks and the duration that the trucks remain for collection of garbage at various localities. A map of Jowai should accompany the affidavit to indicate that the entirety of the town is covered by the garbage collection drive. The Municipality should also indicate how the garbage is being disposed of at the moment, even while the compost plant is being made ready,” it said in the order.

The next hearing will be held on April 27.