Leh: Ladakh is on the verge of a major milestone as medical college classes are expected to begin next year. The government has approved nearly 350 faculty and doctor positions to support this initiative.
SNM Hospital will also be expanded from 200 to 350 beds, with the construction of a new block and a student hostel underway.
This ambitious project, valued at ₹785 crore, awaits final approval from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Before the new campus is built, temporary arrangements are being planned to start classes on an interim basis.
The focus remains on recruiting essential faculty and prioritizing quality education, following a model similar to that of Jammu and Kashmir.
Speaking on this progress, Chief Secretary Dr. Pawan highlighted the delays caused by the need to create staff positions.
He confirmed that 245 faculty and doctor posts have now been sanctioned by the Ministry of Finance, with about 19 of them on an outsourcing basis.
The medical college campus will be established in Farka, featuring a new additional block to accommodate 350 beds and a hostel for students.
Dr. Pawan expressed optimism that the health ministry’s approval will come soon, allowing the tendering process to begin.
While the new buildings won’t be ready within a year, temporary facilities like labs and gallery-style lecture halls will be set up to start classes as early as next year.
He emphasized that faculty availability is the most critical factor for a medical college’s functioning, more than the infrastructure itself.
Drawing from his experience as Principal Secretary of Health and Medical Education in J&K, where medical colleges started classes even while buildings were under construction, he reassured that Ladakh is on the right track to achieve the same success.
