State Medical College ready to enrol first batch of students by 2021-22

Even as the Health & Family Welfare (H&FW) department is striving towards improving the health delivery system in the State, the long-cherished dream of every Naga to have Nagaland Medical College at Phriebagei, Kohima (NMC) is set to be turned into a reality soon as the medical college is scheduled to enrol its first batch of students by 2021-22.

Nagaland chief minister Neiphiu Rio had laid the foundation of NMC in 2014 in the presence of then H&FW minister Imkong L Imchen.

The upcoming medical college will initially function from two campuses– administrative, academic, hostel complex for students and residential complex for faculty and staff at Phriebagei, and the teaching hospital campus at Naga Hospital Authority, Kohima (NHAK).

Interacting with Nagaland Post here on Friday, director (health) and NMC nodal officer Dr Vizolie Z Suokhrie explained that owing to technical issues, the construction work could not kick off in time.

He said the sanctioned amount was received in 2015, but due to land issue, the construction could not take off.

Suokhrie asserted that the H&FW department, project management consultants and contractors were determined to achieve the targets of enrolling the first batch by 2021-2022. 

While the first batch of admission for the 100 seats would be made possible by then, the State would have a fully functional medical college in another five years, he added.

The director said the total estimated construction cost was Rs 189 crore on a funding pattern of 90:10 between the Central and State governments, adding Rs 179.10 crore had already been received by the State.

He expressed happiness at the H&FW department being able to acquire 50.25 acres of land through “outright purchase” and handing it over along with land pattas in March 2018, adding that from 2015 till date, an amount of Rs 2.81 crore had been utilized.

Through tender, the department engaged project management consultant IQVIA (funded by World Bank) in May 2017, which will provide construction advisory services, construction supervisions and management of medical college for five years.  

The conceptual master plan was approved by the then chief minister in 2017 to begin work on the layout designs and drawings of the building as per Medical Council of India regulations for 100 seats.

The director said tender was floated in August 2018 and the contracts were awarded in November, adding all contractors were on board now.

Expressed apprehensions over “known and unforeseen challenges”, Suokhrie said limited working period and heavy rainfall could result in time and cost overruns, which might push the targeted year for completion of 2020.

However, despite all odds, Suokhrie said work order was issued and site developmental activities were in progress, adding the ongoing construction work included boys’ and girls’ hostels, apartments measuring 100 sq metres (comprising four blocks with 24 units), apartments measuring 200 sq metres (comprising one block with 10 units), sports complex, medical superintendent’s and dean’s residences, etc.

Deputy director Dr Kika Longkumer, who was also present during the interaction, explained that to begin with, a medical college needed to have 300-bedded teaching hospital facility. He said teaching hospital would function from NHAK (which had 300 beds) at the initial stage, while the administrative complex would be located at the college campus.

By the fourth year, he said the teaching hospital would be shifted to NMCK complex, which would be equipped with 500 beds.

Meanwhile, the director informed this correspondent that tender would be floated very soon for improvement of NHAK infrastructure and equipment upgrade, which would be funded by World Bank.

Nagaland Governor, P.B. Acharya is scheduled to visit the construction site next week.

As already reported, H&FW minister Pangnyu Phom had met Union health minister Dr Harsh Vardhan in New Delhi on June 17 and sought the Central government’s support towards completing the medical college within the stipulated time.