Parents of Meghalaya medical college students seek govt aid amid financial concerns

Parents and guardians of MBBS students at P A Sangma International Medical College and Hospital (PIMC) have urged the Meghalaya government to extend urgent financial support to the institution, expressing concern that its reported financial difficulties could affect medical education and clinical training.

In a memorandum submitted to the Commissioner and Secretary of the Health and Family Welfare Department, parents of students from the 2026 batch said they had recently visited the PIMC campus and observed the development of its Super Speciality Hospital, advanced clinical facilities, hostels and other academic and healthcare infrastructure.

The parents said they were concerned about the institution’s financial position and its ability to complete and operationalise the infrastructure required for quality medical education and healthcare services.

“We therefore earnestly appeal to the Government of Meghalaya to urgently extend appropriate financial support to PIMC, enabling it to overcome its severe financial difficulties, meet its immediate obligations, complete essential infrastructure and maintain the quality of medical education and clinical training expected by our children,” the memorandum said.

A senior health department official said the state government was considering the appeal.

Parents flag financial difficulties

According to the parents, PIMC had made substantial investments in infrastructure and incurred significant bank loans and other financial liabilities while developing the medical college and associated facilities.

They claimed that the financial constraints had affected the institution’s ability to service bank instalments and had also resulted in difficulties in disbursing staff salaries on time.

The parents appealed to the government to ensure that the reported financial difficulties did not affect students’ education, clinical training or future careers.

They also urged the government to ensure that students and their families were not subjected to any additional financial burden beyond their existing fee commitments.

First private medical college in Meghalaya

PIMC, established under the University of Science and Technology, Meghalaya (USTM), is the first private medical college in the state and is named after former Lok Sabha Speaker P A Sangma.

The National Medical Commission approved the institution to commence its MBBS programme in October 2024, and its first academic session began the same year.

For the 2025-26 academic session, 43 of the 100 approved MBBS seats were allocated under the state quota.

The parents said government support at this stage would not only help address the institution’s immediate difficulties but would also safeguard the interests of students and contribute to medical education and healthcare in Meghalaya and the wider Northeast.

“We firmly believe that supporting PIMC at this critical juncture is not merely assistance to an institution; it is an investment in the future of our children, medical education and healthcare in Meghalaya and the entire Northeast,” they said.