dda to launch Dhubri, gaon medical college works

200-bedded cancer hospital attached to GMCH and AMRIT pharmacies in five State medical college & hospitals to be iugurated today; construction of Lakhimpur medical college to begin mid-March, says State Health minister

BY OUR STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI, Feb 16: In order to give a boost to the State’s healthcare sector, Health Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma has said that construction of 3 new medical colleges and hospitals, with total investment of over Rs 550 crore and patient intake of 1,500, will commence within the next 30 days.

Union Health Minister JP dda will launch the commencement of construction work for Dhubri Medical College and Hospital tomorrow, to be followed next day by launch of construction work for gaon Medical College and Hospital, informed Sarma at a press conference here on Thursday.

dda will be visiting the State with a two-day programme from tomorrow, said Sarma, adding that besides the Dhubri and gaon hospitals, construction of another medical college and hospital at Lakhimpur will commence from mid-March.

Sarma said the first phase construction cost for each of the hospitals has been fixed at Rs 190 crore, totaling investment of Rs 570 in these three hospitals. The government of India will provide 90% of the funds, while remaining 10% will be from the State government.

“Additiolly, there would be need for an investment of about Rs 50 crore in each of the three hospitals in the second phase for meeting Medical Council of India (MCI) guidelines. That amount of around Rs 150 crore will have to be borne by the State government alone,” he added.

Each of the three hospitals will be 500-bedded and the government has targeted completing the works within 3-4 years, the minister said.

Except for the hospital in gaon, the State government had to spend additiol Rs 25 crore for land acquisition in Dhubri and Rs 7-8 crore in Lakhimpur. The minister further said the ongoing construction of Diphu Medical College and Hospital is 70 percent complete and is likely to be iugurated later this year, while construction for the proposed medical college and hospital at Kokrajhar will start this year.

Moreover, the Health department has set a target for starting construction work of two new medical colleges and hospitals at lbari and Tinsukia, as announced for the coming fiscal, before the end of 2017-18, the Health minister added.

“We are working towards achieving our promise of 12 medical colleges and hospitals and 1,200 doctors,” Sarma said.

He further informed that a 200-bedded cancer hospital, attached to Gauhati Medical College and Hospital here, will be formally iugurated by JP dda tomorrow.

“The State government has spent Rs 85.78 crore in first phase in the cancer hospital so far, which has state-of-the-art machines and the country’s best doctors as consultants. In the second phase, we hope to develop it as the State cancer hospital, which will entail Rs 120 crore from the Centre for further expansion. Of course, the State government will have to provide Rs 12 crore out the Rs 120 crore,” he added.

The minister added that the State Budget for 2017-18 has earmarked Rs 50 crore for a PET-MRI machine for the cancer hospital. This will be the first State-owned cancer hospital in Assam. For the hospital, doctors will be brought from outside on consultant basis. Already two renowned radio oncologists Dr Vivash Goswami and Dr Mrs M Goswami have been brought to the State. When completed, it will be one of the state-of-the-art cancer hospitals in the country.

Sarma further said the Union Health minister will iugurate tomorrow via video link AMRIT pharmacies in five medical colleges and hospitals of the State, while a MoU will also be signed on the occasion for opening AMRIT pharmacies in remaining 27 district hospitals of the State.

In Gauhati Medical College and Hospital, an IVF facility will be set up and in this regard, an MoU will be signed, Sarma informed.