Sonowal launches construction of Dhubri Medical College

Vows to make healthcare facilities accessible, affordable and accountable to all

BY OUR STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI, Feb 17: In its bid to provide accessible, affordable and accountable healthcare delivery system, Chief Minister Sarbanda Sonowal, Union Health Minister JP dda and State Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma launched the construction work of Dhubri Medical College and Hospital at Dhubri on Friday.

The Dhubri Medical College and Hospital to be built with a budgetary outlay of Rs. 189 crore on sprawling 108 bighas of land will be completed within 3 years. The proposed medical college will be attached with the existing 200 bedded District and Referral Hospital.

Speaking on the occasion, Sonowal termed the day as a red letter day for Dhubri and hailed the people of the district for peacefully co-existing since decades. Addressing the gathering Sonowal said the government is committed to bring about overall development of Dhubri.

Sonowal also said the present government is working resolutely to serve 3.20 crore people of the State.

Reiterating that the government is all for giving a fillip to ‘sabka sath sabka vikash’, the Chief Minister said the one point agenda of the government is to facilitate development of all sections of people and urged the people to be united and strengthen the demographic mosaic of the State.

Union Health Minister JP dda, while speaking on the occasion, said the Centre has accorded top priority to development of healthcare in Assam and accordingly Rs 756 crore has been sanctioned for four new medical colleges in the State. He also said the Centre has drafted the tiol List of Essentials Medicines under which drugs will be made available in AMRIT pharmacy and five such pharmacies have been opened in five medical college and hospitals in Assam.

He also said 500 types of medicines, 85 types of tests will be made free of cost at 16 district hospitals in the State and subsequently these facilities will be made available in community health centres and primary health centres.

Health and Family Welfare Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, while speaking on the occasion, said for setting up of Dhubir Medical College Hospital, 60 bighas of land have been acquired by the government and compensation will be given to those people by 31st March, 2017, who were living on this plot of land. He also said construction works will be taken up on war footing and entire construction work will be completed within three years.

Moreover, medical colleges will be set up in gaon, Lakhimpur and Diphu within this fincial year. Referring to Atal Amrit Abhiyan, Sarma said the government will provide Rs 2 lakh to each patient from the BPL category for treatment of their critical ailments.

Moreover, he asked the Commissioner and Secretary, Health to visit Dhubri and assess progress of the construction work regularly.

Several MLAs, senior government officers and a host of dignitaries were present on the occasion.