Assam: Private firm to give Rs 150 cr for new medical college

GUWAHATI: In line with its commitment to bring about a paradigm shift in imparting medical education, the state government on Friday inked an MoU for the infrastructure development of the academic block of the second medical college and hospital of Guwahati with Bright Star Investments Pvt Ltd at a function held at Janata Bhawan here.

Commissioner and Secretary of Medical Education & Research Siddharth Singh and promoter and founder of Bright Star Investments Pvt Ltd Radhakishnan Damani signed the MoU in presence of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.

Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister termed the occasion as historic and said that signing of the MoU will herald a new beginning in Assam's medical education. It is for the first time that the state government has collaborated with the private sector for building infrastructure of a medical college. The Chief Minister thanked Radhakishan Damani for coming forward with this remarkable philanthropic gesture. He said that showing its social commitments, Bright Star Investments Pvt LTD has come forth to support the cause of medical education in Assam.

Bright Star Investments Pvt Limited has come up with a CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) contribution of Rs 150 crore for infrastructure development of the academic block, UG and intern hostels of the new medical college.

Sarma also said, "It is indeed a matter of pride and joy that responding to the call given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the corporate sector for providing more opportunities to Indian students in the field of medical education, Bright Star Investments Pvt Ltd has chosen Assam as the first state to start the noble collaboration".

Chief Minister Dr. Sarma also said that state government is working with a vision of one medical college per district in Assam. Already, the government has taken steps for setting up 15 new medical colleges in addition to the nine existing ones. Out of the 15 new medical colleges, seven medical colleges are being constructed at Nalbari, Nagaon, Kokrajhar, Tinsukia, Charaideo, Biswanath Chariali and the second medical college at Guwahati.

The government is going to start construction of five more medical colleges at Golaghat, Bongaigaon, Morigaon, Tamulpur and Dhemaji during this month and work for three more medical colleges proposed at Sivasagar, Karimganj and Goalpara will be taken up very soon. In the next five years, Assam will have a total of 24 medical colleges, which will greatly improve the availability of doctors and medical care in the state.

The Chief Minister also said that with the increase in medical colleges in the state, the number of MBBS seats have also increased from 726 in 2014 to 1,200 in 2022. Till 2014, the total number of postgraduate (PG) seats in Assam was 395. In 2022, the total number of PG seats has increased to 711. The availability of doctors has also improved significantly. Similarly, 44 super-specialty seats are now available in various institutions under the state government. Moreover, when construction of proposed medical colleges is completed, the state will have 2,700 MBBS seats, thereby significantly enhancing opportunity for medical education in Assam.

According to an official communiqué, Minister Health and Family Welfare Keshab Mahanta, Head of CSR, Damani Foundation Madhu Chandak, Principal Secretary Health & Family Welfare Department Avinash Joshi, and a host of other dignitaries were also present on the occasion.

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