As a Memorandum of Understanding was signed on Saturday between Assam's Health and Family Welfare Department and a Rajkot-based organization called Prashanti Medical Services & Research Foundation, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has described this as the dawn of a new era in the healthcare sector of the state. The MoU provides for conducting sophisticated heart surgery for 500 children and 500 adults of Assam – all belonging to the disadvantaged sections of the society – who will be requiring treatment within a period of two years. This is indeed a very significant step. One must place on record the fact that the healthcare sector in Assam has undergone a drastic change in the past six or seven years. While the number of medical colleges has gone up significantly, in the process increasing the availability of MBBS seats for a large number of aspirants, the hospitals attached to the medical colleges have made available better healthcare to quite a large number of people. Moreover, with the establishment and/or upgradation of government hospitals and healthcare centres at the districts and subdivisions level, the basic healthcare facilities are now available almost at the doorstep of the people. Many people, especially from the districts away from the state capital, no longer need to travel to Guwahati or Dibrugarh for better healthcare. Establishment of the Assam Cancer Care Foundation – a joint partnership between the Government of Assam and Tata Trusts – in December 2017 to create a first-of-its-kind, three-level cancer grid in the state has on the other hand given a big boost to cancer care in the state. Taking over the B Borooah Cancer Institute of Guwahati by the Department of Atomic Energy – a long-pending issue – is yet another milestone. With malaria, various water-borne diseases (Diarrhea, Dysentery, Cholera, Gastroenteritis etc), cancer, cardiac problems, and various problems arising from malnutrition being common in Assam, what is now also probably needed is a detailed disease mapping of the state. This can be followed up by a massive healthcare awareness programme which can also consider the inclusion of various healthcare issues, including prevention, a part of the school curriculum.