New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said that Assam’s healthcare system has improved significantly since Himanta Biswa Sarma became the chief minister of the state.
Shah made the remarks after inaugurating several development projects of the Assam government in Guwahati.
Sarma and several other dignitaries were present on the occasion, according to an official statement.
Addressing a gathering, the union minister said the condition of healthcare services in the Northeast was very poor about a decade ago. He alleged that the opposition party that remained in power for years did not focus on improving public health and cared only about the financial well-being of their own families.
Shah said several government hospitals have been constructed in Assam and many medical colleges have been established in recent years. He said the government has given priority to setting up government medical colleges so that children from poor families can also pursue medical education.
He added that hospitals equipped with advanced facilities have been developed to treat various critical diseases. Shah said the CM has also mobilised support from society along with the government to implement these initiatives.
The Union minister said the country needs a comprehensive system of medical education, research and development so that students can conduct research on critical diseases and serve patients not only in India but across the world.
He said the Pragjyotishpur Medical College and Hospital has been inaugurated at a cost of about Rs 675 crore. He also announced the inauguration of the Golaghat Cancer Centre built at a cost of Rs135 crore, the Tinsukia Cancer Centre built at a cost of Rs135 crore, the Diphu Medical College and Hospital built at a cost of Rs220 crore, the Barpeta Medical College and Hospital built at a cost of Rs284 crore, and the Jorhat Medical College and Hospital built at a cost of RS310 crore.
Shah said the foundation stone has also been laid for the Six Mile Swasthya Bhavan at Rs 218 crore and the Abhayapuri District Hospital at a cost of Rs 115 crore. He said these initiatives reflect the efforts made by the state government to strengthen the healthcare sector in Assam.
He said the CM aims to build a system where no patient from Assam needs to travel outside the state for treatment. At the same time, patients from West Bengal and other Northeastern states should be able to come to Assam for medical care and return after receiving treatment.
Shah said the government has worked to expand healthcare facilities for cancer and other diseases across Barak Valley, Upper Assam, Central Assam and Lower Assam. He added that patients will no longer need to travel to cities such as Chennai, Mumbai, Karnataka or Delhi, as they will be able to receive treatment at government hospitals closer to their homes.
The Union minister went on to say that the present government has taken major steps to strengthen healthcare and medical education in the state.
Shah said the state’s health budget has increased from Rs 4,000 crore to Rs 9,000 crore under the current government and the funds have been utilised effectively. He added that Assam earlier had only six medical colleges, but the number has now increased to 14, with plans to establish 10 more in the future. He said this will raise the total number of medical colleges in the state to 24.
He said earlier there were 726 medical seats in the state, but the number has now increased to 1,825 seats across the existing 14 medical colleges.
