About New Frontiers of Medical Science and Treatment

Gauhati Medical College and Hospital has had tremendous up gradation in terms of infrastructure development during the last few years. As most know there was an expansion of infrastructure during the COVID pandemic. Around 400 ICU beds with all the necessary support in terms of oxygen supply are there at GMC&H. During the last two to three years the modern and latest diagnostic facilities pertaining to MRI, CT scan, and ultrasound have been added. In the super speciality hospitals too all modern diagnostic facilities have been added. In the superspeciality sector alone in the course of the last two years around 550 beds were added. 

What are some of the new initiatives in terms of new departments, new specialisations and new lines of treatment at GMCH?

Gauhati Medical College and Hospital was established during 1960 and now it stands as a super speciality hub in the North-eastern region. It is indeed one of the pioneer institutes of the region. GMCH has 34 departments including twelve super specialties and all of the departments have got post graduate and post doctoral teaching facilities. It has 3075 beds including 632 ICU beds, which incidentally is one of the highest in any of the medical colleges in India.

With respect to treatment facility, additional super specialty blocks having six departments (nephrology, urology, gastroenterology, paediatric surgery, endocrinology and gastrointestinal surgery) with 260 beds under Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSYIII) and another new block of the Cardio Neuro Centre having cardiology, cardiothoracic and vascular surgery, neurology and neurosurgery department (replete with all modern diagnostic and treatment facilities and 300 beds) are being commissioned at GMCH recently.

The Department of Geriatrics is a fresh addition and it has all facilities for the treatment of people who fall under the purview of geriatric medicine. Another new addition at GMCH is the department of emergency medicine. We offer post graduate in this department too. The State Cancer Institute is a separate unit of GMC&H offering diagnostic and treatment facilities to cancer patients of the state and region in the campus of GMC&H.

Please elaborate on the ongoing and upcoming research initiatives?

Gauhati Medical College and Hospital being a teaching hospital, every year we have 200 post graduates and around 35 post doctoral students. Each of the post graduate and post doctoral students undertake different research topics of critical medical importance every year under the able supervision of our senior faculties. Moreover, the relevant departments like microbiology, medicine, ophthalmology, gastroenterology, community medicine, pathology etc have undertaken different research projects under the Indian Counsel of Medical Research and the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India. In addition to this different research topics of local importance are being undertaken under the Sankaradeva University by the faculties of GMC&H. Research on COVID-19 is one of our flagship research projects during this pandemic.

Please elaborate in terms of your infrastructure up gradation with respect to surgery and diagnostics equipment on one hand and overall hospital inpatient infrastructure like rooms, beds, patient waiting lounges, toilets, canteens etc on the other hand.

Gauhati Medical College and Hospital has had tremendous up gradation in terms of infrastructure development during the last few years. As most know there was an expansion of infrastructure during the COVID pandemic. Around 400 ICU beds with all the necessary support in terms of oxygen supply are there at GMC&H. During the last two to three years the modern and latest diagnostic facilities pertaining to MRI, CT scan, and ultrasound have been added. In the super speciality hospitals too all modern diagnostic facilities have been added. In the superspeciality sector alone in the course of the last two years around 550 beds were added.

Also I must mention that during the COVID pandemic the ICUs at GMC&H were furbished with liquid oxygen. Owing the recent expansions now we have 2443 hospital beds and 632 ICU beds in total in GMC&H. I must also state that the development of the infrastructure and diagnostic facilities are increasing every year at GMC&H. The existing diagnostic facilities in terms of CT scan, X-ray and auto analyser for the biochemical tests are being commissioned every year as we are conscious about replacing the old and obsolete equipments. We are now equipped with two MRI machines and three CT scan machines. Also there is adequate access of ultra sound machines at GMC&H through which we are fulfilling our mandate of providing uninterrupted around the clock diagnostic facilities to the needy patients. In addition new hostels for boys and girls, attendant guest house with a capacity of 160, nurses quarters etc are being added to the support infrastructure of GMC&H in recent times.

GMCH had taken a flagship role in terms of handling COVID patients and COVID emergencies during the first, second and third waves of the pandemic? Please elaborate on this and share about your preparedness in terms of the expected future waves.

Gauhati Medical College and Hospital served as the apex diagnostic and treatment centre during the Covid pandemic in the state. During the first wave of 2020, the second wave of 2021 and the third wave of 2022, we have served approximately 36,708 patients. These patients were treated at GMC&H and its annexe hospitals.

During the COVID pandemic the covid care units of Mahendra Mohan Choudhury Hospital (MMCH) Kalapahar, Ayurvedic Hospital and Sarusajai Khanapara were managed by GMC&H. Our entire teaching faculty, staff, postgraduate students and nursing and support staff worked together in thwarting the disease and saving lives.

Needless to say the infrastructure created during the Covid pandemic at GMC&H is ready to tackle any further waves and emergencies arising from the virus. During the ongoing fourth wave, we are managing our covid care facilities at the emergency wing and we get around 15 to 20 patients daily. GMC&H is not just prepared for all eventualities of COVID 19. We have also been providing COVID vaccination from the start of the nationwide drive until now for the benefits of the common man.

The Gauhati Medical College is an inseparable part of the Guwahati Medical College Hospital. Please lend an overview of this college in terms of heterogeneity of students, course structure, teaching methodology etc?

As I stated earlier, Guwahati Medical College and Hospital is one of the premier medical institutes of the region. This has been a fact since our inception in 1960. Starting from 100 admissions during 1960, today we have 200 under graduate students, 210 post graduate students and 37 post doctoral students (approximately) every year. The student strength is around 1900 which includes post graduate students. Besides this the medical college is offering different paramedical courses. Around 200 paramedical students take admissions into these courses every year. GMCH enrols meritorious students from across the country. Infact this year we have taken students from Bhutan also. Now the under gradate curriculum is being changed to competency based medical education (CBME). This is being done to create more competent medical practitioners. The GMCH has already been imparting training to the under graduate students as per the new curriculum from 2019. The first batch of the CBME course is expected to pass out during March 2023. Be it post graduate, post doctoral or undergraduate medical studies, GMC&H is a preferred institute for students from across the country.

What is your vision for GMCH and GMC?

In the coming days with the expansion of the Super Speciality and Cancer Institute, we hope to make GMC&H a veritable centre of medical excellence for the country. In other words we want to etch our presence and credentials beyond the north eastern region (although needless to say this region will always be our priority). We want to further alleviate the standards of GMC&H so that it becomes a preferred hub of medical treatment for the people of the neighbouring countries too.

Our credentials in the academic front have already been widely acknowledged. Here too we hope to excel in the coming days and want to make GMCH one of the most preferred research and teaching institutes of the country.

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