Tripura government committed to its people for expansion of healthcare services and to ensure better health services, the government has also encouraged many private parties to establish their health infrastructures including medical colleges, said Minister Sushanta Chowdhury.

Addressing a press conference at Civil Secretariat on Tuesday afternoon, Food and Civil Supplies Minister Sushanta Chowdhury replying over the allegations made by leader of opposition (LoP) Jitendra Chaudhury to a letter to the Chief Minister over setting up a proposed medical college by West Bengal based “Swadheen Trust”,  said all allegations are baseless and has attempt to disturb coming inspection of National Medical Council (NMC) to run the proposed medical college ‘Shantiniketan Medical College’.

Denying the LoP’s allegations that “Swadheen Trust” has applied to the state government for handing over or for using the available services, facilities and infrastructure of the century old, historic and iconic health institution of Tripura IGM Hospital, Chowdhury said there are no proposals, but the “Swadheen Trust” only want the facilities only for practical purpose till completion of their infrastructure.

He said that by maintaining all rules and regulations of NMC, the state government has taken the initiative for the use of IGM Hospital for setting up the proposed ‘Shantiniketan Medical College’.

The state government always wants that state’s student must get the facilities of medical education inside the state and it will boost up the health services after number of doctor increased, said Chowdhury and added that “Swadheen Trust” has applied before the government to use the IGM Hospital for practical purposes in the run of their medical college.

The “Swadheen Trust” has already started the construction of a proposed medical college in Agartala by purchasing 20 acre of land from their own expenses and will set up a 600 beds hospital, said Chowdhury.

The “Swadheen Trust” till the completion of their own infrastructure will use the IGM Hospital and to get the approval of NMC, the baseless allegation by LoP is very unfortunate before the proposed visit of NMC, , said Chowdhury.

He said that as per the central ‘Establishment of Medical College Regulations, 1999,  any private agency or trust, organization or any individual after signing memorandum of understanding (MoU), can use the government hospital as teaching hospital.

Based on this Act, the Uttar Pradesh government approved 27 medical colleges along othe states of the country. Similarly, the “Swadheen Trust” of Bolpur, West Bengal has signed a MoU with the Bengal government for their Shantiniketan Medical College. In Kerala, the government to encourage private medical colleges has allowed their students to present during autopsy in government hospitals, said Chowdhury.

He said that government to maintain all rules and regulations are preparing to sign MoU with “Swadheen Trust” after NMC inspection for their medical college, which will ensure 50% seats for Tripura students and ten seats for the students under economically weaker section with fees like government medical colleges, said Chowdhury.

He also said that the state government has accorded permission to the proposed medical college for a limited period to use the premises of the state’s Dental College and when the buildings of the proposed medical college are completed, they would be shifted to their own buildings.

When the state government has been trying to expand the health infrastructure in the state, the opposition CPI (M) leaders are coming in the way, alleged Chowdhury.