Itanagar, Oct 4 — Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Sunday said that the MBBS intake at the Tomo Riba Institute of Health and Medical Sciences (TRIHMS) has doubled from the initial 50 seats to 100 over the past two years, while two more medical colleges are set to be established in the state soon.
The Chief Minister said that the state is preparing to establish a second medical college at Namsai, with construction expected to begin shortly, while a third medical college in the West Kameng-Tawang region, with an intake capacity of around 150 students, is being planned under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) mode.
Khandu said an investor delegation from Delhi was scheduled to visit the proposed site and hold discussions with the concerned department.
The Chief Minister on Sunday inaugurated a dedicated 33kV power substation and the Vivekananda Bhavan Phase-II staff quarters at Ramakrishna Mission Hospital, Itanagar, and assured continued state government support to strengthen the institution’s healthcare and education initiatives in Arunachal Pradesh.
Speaking on the occasion, Khandu recalled the long association of the Ramakrishna Mission with Arunachal Pradesh, beginning with the establishment of its school at Aalo in 1966, followed by the Ramakrishna Mission at Narottam Nagar, and subsequently the hospital at Itanagar in 1978-79. He noted that generations of students educated at RKM institutions have gone on to occupy important positions in public life and government service, particularly those who studied at the Aalo and Narottam Nagar institutions.
Highlighting the state government’s efforts to expand the Mission’s educational footprint, Khandu said he had recently urged the Ramakrishna Mission authorities to enter the field of higher education in Arunachal Pradesh. He said that, following discussions with the Mission leadership, in-principle approval has been accorded for two colleges, one at Aalo and another at Narottam Nagar. The government is exploring the possibility of starting the institutions using existing infrastructure so that the initiative can be operationalised at the earliest, he said.
The Chief Minister also appreciated the Ramakrishna Mission for establishing its educational institution at Lamdung in East Kameng district, saying it would help address the gap in quality education in western Arunachal Pradesh.
Khandu said the upcoming 200-bed expansion of Ramakrishna Mission Hospital would make a significant contribution to healthcare delivery in the State. He also said the rapid urbanisation of Itanagar-Naharlagun necessitates advance planning for water infrastructure.
Khandu said the state has already prepared and submitted a proposal to the Central Government for a major water supply project for the capital region and that efforts would be made to take it forward at the earliest. The Chief Minister also took note of the poor condition of the existing staff and doctors’ quarters at the hospital, many of which date back to the 1970s and 1980s.
He said the Ramakrishna Mission had already submitted a DPR to the state government for replacement of the ageing infrastructure and assured that he would take up the matter with the Planning Department.
Present on the occasion were Home Minister Mama Natung, MLAs Pani Taram and Jikke Tako, Vice President of Ramakrishna Math and Ramakrishna Mission, Belur Math, Rev Swami Suhitananda Ji Maharaj, Secretary of Ramakrishna Mission Hospital Rev Swami Vedassaranandaji Maharaj, Secretary of Ramakrishna Mission, Narottamnagar, Rev Swami Achyuteshanandaji Maharaj, among others.