GUWAHATI: In a recent update in the state assembly, Health Minister Keshab Mahanta disclosed that only one medical college and hospital in Assam presently offers treatment across all its sanctioned departments.
Responding to a query posed by Congress MLA Rekibuddin Ahmed, Minister Mahanta clarified that comprehensive treatment facilities are exclusively accessible at Gauhati Medical College and Hospital.
In contrast, among the remaining 11 medical colleges in the state, treatment services are conspicuously absent in numerous departments, with the deficiency varying between three and thirteen departments per institution, as articulated by the Minister. Mahanta pointed out that in the recently established Nalbari and Kokrajhar Medical College and Hospitals, permanent staff in grades 3, and 4, and nursing roles have yet to be appointed, despite efforts to initiate this process.
Additionally, Mahanta expanded on the healthcare landscape by noting the presence of two Ayurvedic colleges in Assam. These ayurvedic colleges boast the distinction of having established all their sanctioned departments, thereby providing treatment across the board. However, this achievement is not mirrored in the nine other medical colleges in the state, apart from Gauhati, Dibrugarh, and Silchar medical colleges, where nine or more departments are yet to be established.
Notably, essential departments such as Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery (CTVS), Endocrinology, Gastroenterology, Haematology, Neurology, Nephrology, Plastic Surgery, Paediatric Surgery, and Urology have not been instituted in any of these nine medical colleges.
To address the staffing and infrastructure shortfalls, Minister Mahanta revealed that the state's medical colleges currently employ 2,438 doctors, with an additional 456 doctors urgently required to meet the demand for healthcare services.
Responding to a query posed by AIUDF's Karim Uddin Barbhuiya, Minister Mahanta highlighted ongoing developments in super-speciality hospitals across six medical colleges, namely Silchar, Jorhat, Fakruddin Ali Ahmed Hospital in Barpeta, Tezpur, Diphu, and Lakhimpur. He elaborated that the initial design work for all these super-speciality hospitals has been completed, with detailed design plans currently in progress. Furthermore, he assured that the necessary land for these facilities has been secured, marking significant strides toward enhancing healthcare infrastructure and services in Assam