The National Medical Commission (NMC) has permitted the setting up of the first private medical college in Manipur.

The news has been confirmed by Dr Palin Khundongbam, managing director of Shija Hospitals and Research Institute (SHRI), Imphal.

According to a media report, the private medical college named Shija Academy of Health Sciences (SAHS) will be set up at Langol, the Health Village in Manipur’s Imphal West district.

The medical college has been sponsored by Shija Hospitals and Research Institute (SHRI), Imphal.

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It has been reported that the first medical college in Manipur will have an intake capacity of 150 students per year.

Dr Khundongbam said all necessary infrastructure has been in place and the first academic session (2021-2022) will begin from December.

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The report quoted Dr Khundongbam as saying: “The main purpose of establishing the new medical college is to produce strong, empathetic, compassionate, socially and environmentally responsible research-oriented medical graduates and postgraduates… provide affordable quality healthcare, medical tourism to contribute to the state’s exchequer and for inclusive growth of the region.”

The managing director of SHRI, Imphal said every year out of more than 4,000 medical aspirants in Manipur, 150 students are selected as government nominees.

He also informed that more than 400 students seek admission in medical colleges outside Manipur or abroad.

He claimed about 700 Manipuri medical students are studying in China alone, he added.

Dr Khundongbam said over Rs 500 crore is approximately spent outside Manipur per year for healthcare and medical education.

The report quoted Dr Khundongbam as saying that the amount spent for medical students studying outside the state would be more if the expenditure for dental, nursing, paramedical students is included.

He informed that as per the norm set by the World Health Organization (WHO), there should be one doctor for every 1,000 individuals.

But India has only 440 medical colleges out of which only 3% are in the Northeast, he added.