60 Years After Statehood, India's Only State With No Medical College Finally Gets Its First

60 years after the state first attained statehood, Nagaland has got its first medical college.


The Union health and family welfare minister Mansukh Mandaviya inaugurated the first medical college of the state in Kohima, the Nagaland Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (NIMSR).


The NIMSR received the letter of permission for admission of 100 MBBS students for the academic year 2023-24 from the National Medical Commission in April.

The foundation for Nagaland Medical College was laid by the Chief Minister of Nagaland Neiphiu Rio in 2014.


"With the laying of the foundation stone of the college, the dream to have our own medical college has become a reality. This had been a long-cherished dream of the people of Nagaland," said Rio.


This year itself, a total of 85 MBBS students from Nagaland and six from other states were admitted to NIMSR.

NIMSR is not just a medical college but also a research institute. The college has been partly financed by a centrally-sponsored scheme and Nagaland's was one of 58 such medical colleges.


CM Rio called the inauguration of the first medical college a historic day for the people of Nagaland.

Nagaland CM Rio said that every year more than 1,000 patients from Nagaland had to be referred to other states for the treatment of diseases such as cancer due to a lack of medical facilities in the state.

With a medical college finally set up in the state, people can now avail health facilities at minimal cost.


Being a research institute, the NIMSR will not only fulfil the purpose of imparting medical education but will also address the health issues of the Naga people.

NIMSR Kohima aims at providing holistic medical education to MBBS students enrolled under NIMSR, comprehensive hospital based and community outreach health care services to patients through various Health Care Programs, extra and intramural research facilities.


The inauguration of NIMSR Kohima is a crucial part of the Government’s efforts to improve the quality of medical education and healthcare infrastructure in Nagaland and the entire Northeast region.


"The aim is to ensure that each citizen of India is able to get access to affordable and accessible healthcare across the country," he said, particularly highlighting the expansion of Jan Aushadhi Kendras, where medicines are provided at highly subsidised rates.

For more on news and current affairs from around the world please visit Indiatimes News.