A CORRESPONDENT
DIBRUGARH: No progress has been made in the prestigious Dr John Berry White Medical School Museum project and after so many years, the project still remains in limbo.
The Rs 2.1-crore initiative, sponsored by Oil India Limited (OIL) and implemented by the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) after a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between them on January 10, 2018, aims to preserve a cornerstone of medical education in Northeast India. However, the project has missed multiple deadlines, with no clear end in sight and nobody seeming to be interested in it. What exactly happened and why the project work has been stalled is not known to anyone.
Dr John Berry White Medical School carries exceptional historical weight, having been established in 1900, four years after the death of its namesake benefactor, British surgeon Dr John Berry White. As the Northeast's pioneering medical institution, it established the framework for modern medical education throughout the region.
"Due to departmental failure, the project work has been at a standstill. Most of the work in the project has been completed but why the project has not been given a green signal from the Dibrugarh district administration is a mystery. The district administration has also been showing lackadaisical attitude towards the ambitious project," alleged a Dibrugarh resident.
The project to transform the historic 125-year-old Dr John Berry White Medical School into a heritage museum has stretched over seven and a half years, overshooting its original 15-month timeline.
Dr White, who dedicated 24 years of service to Assam, bequeathed his entire life savings of fifty thousand rupees, valued at approximately Rs 10 crore in today's currency, to create the school. This institution subsequently evolved into the Assam Medical College in 1947, which remains among the Northeast's most prestigious medical institutions.
A recent inspection identified several deficiencies in INTACH's execution of the work. Dr Aradhana Kataky, Convenor of INTACH Dibrugarh chapter, has resigned from INTACH Dibrugarh chapter as she was unhappy with INTACH Delhi.
"The funding agencies should monitor the project work. Their work does not end at releasing the funds. Due to departmental failure, the project has not been completed till date," said a source.
Also Read: No Reply of RTI on Dr John Berry White Medical School Museum Status