Healthcare push Assam proposes 12 new medical colleges, 7 nursing colleges
   Date :15-Dec-2023
 
Assam proposes
 
 
 
 
 
 
By Kartik Lokhande
GUWAHATI
APART from cancer care, Assam is currently witnessing a massive push to medical education to create healthcare professionals within the State. As part of this effort, the Government of Assam has proposed 12 new medical colleges, seven new nursing colleges, and two dental colleges. Not only that, but it has put in action a plan to have adequate manpower at the new colleges. In 2009, Assam had only three Government medical colleges with 425 MBBS seats, one dental college with 40 seats, and one nursing college with 75 seats. That year (2009), Srimanta Sankaradeva University of Health Sciences was established at Guwahati. But, a lot has changed now under the leadership of Himanta Biswa Sarma, Chief Minister of Assam. According to officials, since he was Health Minister previously, he knew the ground situation and was acquainted with the challenges. Since he became Chief Minister, he has taken various initiatives to overcome the challenges. New medical, nursing, and dental colleges are part of these initiatives.
 
According to Dr Arup Kumar Burman, Director, Medical Education and Research Department, Assam, presently the State has 12 medical colleges (with 1,500 MBBS seats), three dental colleges with 176 BDS seats, three nursing colleges with 225 BSc (Nursing) seats. Central Government also has invested in Assam’s healthcare in a big way. In 2017, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) was conceptualised. In April 2023, AIIMS Guwahati was inaugurated at the hands of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. AIIMS Guwahati is located at Changsari in Kamrup district in a sprawling campus. “As the construction was in progress but necessary facilities had been created, we admitted our first batch in 2021. From 2024, we will be launching PG courses too,” said Dr Ashok Puranik, Executive Director, AIIMS Guwahati. When the Prime Minister inaugurated AIIMS Guwahati in April 2023, he also inaugurated three medical colleges at Nalbari, Nagaon, and Kokrajhar. At present, Assam has 1,500 MBBS seats, 722 PG seats, and 44 DM/MCh seats in various super-specialty disciplines.
 
Now, 12 more medical colleges have been proposed, each with under-graduate intake capacity of 100 per year. These include Tinsukia with Rs 614.933 crore funding, Charaideo (Rs 500 crore funding), Biswanath (Rs 500 crore), Tamulpur (Rs 666.935 crore), Dhemaji (Rs 605.248 crore), New Bongaigaon (Rs 610.674 crore), Morigaon (Rs 647.375 crore), Golaghat (Rs 631.823 crore). The funding for three proposed medical colleges namely at Sibsagar, Goalpara, Karimganj has not yet been finalised. Whereas, the proposed Pragjyotishpur Medical College at Guwahati will be funded through corporate social responsibility. Similarly, seven new nursing colleges have been proposed at Diphu in Karbi Anglong district, Lakhimpur in Lakhimpur district, Dhubri (Dhubri district), Nagaon (Nagaon), Kokrajhar (Kokrajhar), Jorhat (Jorhat), and Nalbari (Nalbari). Of these, the nursing colleges at Diphu, Lakhimpur, Dhubri, Nagaon, and Kokrajhar are proposed at respective medical colleges. Already, requisite funds have been released for these, and State Public Works Department has prepared detailed project reports. The nursing colleges at Jorhat and Nalbari are to be constructed at the cost of Rs 10 crore under the North Eastern Council. Besides, two more dental colleges have been proposed at Lakhimpur and Morigaon.
 
It is generally the case that various States construct medical colleges but face manpower shortage as it is not taken care of since beginning. Assam is trying to take care of the challenge. It created Medical Education and Research Department on May 5, 2022. Since January 2023, it has filled 556 positions of medical faculty. Of these, interestingly, 152 were filled through campus recruitment. Since the inception of the department, 778 entry-level faculty members have been recruited. The departmental promotion committee meetings were held expeditiously and 656 faculty members were promoted in two years. A number of Assistant Professors have been recruited through lateral entry mode. To get over vacancy issue, the upper age limit for entry-level posts has been increased from 38 years to 45 years. Besides, to have experienced staff, the retirement age of faculty members has been raised from 65 years to 70 years.
 
This has helped a lot. It has total manpower of 2,354 and is having 565 vacancies. As the new colleges are being constructed, the Government is working actively to attract medical and non-medical staff to Assam. “We wish to have the best and accessible healthcare for all. Also, we wish to cater well to patients coming to Assam from even the neighbouring countries. Having state-of-the-art facilities will help us become a centre of medical tourism at least in the North-East,” Dr Burman said with confidence. Given the developments in the recent past, if the pace of change continues, it does not appear to be a distant dream. For, change is sweeping the entire North-Eastern Region, and Assam is leading it.