8 New Medical Colleges to come up in Assam, Tinsukia Medical College to be operational from this year

Assam- To boost up the healthcare sector, 8 medical colleges are going to be inaugurated in Assam within 18 to 30 months, said Assam Health Minister Keshab Mahanta in the ongoing budget session. He also said that the government is also planning to make Tinsukia Medical College and Hospital functional from this year and hence has applied for a Letter of Permission (LOP) from the National Medical Commission (NMC).

Keshab Mahanta said this in response to the question posed by the Goalpara East Congress MLA Abul Kalam Rashid Alam.

As per the Sentinel media news report, the Minister has stated that “Currently, 12 medical colleges are operational in the state. Construction of Tinsukia, Charaideo, Dhemaji, Biswanath, Golaghat, Morigaon, Tamulpur, Bongaigaon, and Guwahati (second) is currently going on. The civil work at Tinsukia Medical College is 99% complete. That is why we have applied for LOP from NMC so that the MBBS course can start this year. The percentage of construction work completed on the remaining eight medical colleges is Guwahati 60%, Biswanath 46%, Bongaigaon 35%, Charaideo 56%, Morigaon 15%, Tamulpur 15%, Dhemaji 15%, and Golaghat 10%. The target for completion of work in these medical colleges is between 18 and 30 months."

Earlier, while speaking to Pratidin, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa had also mentioned about the operationalisation of Tinsukia Medical College Hospital. He says “We have already appealed for accreditation from the NMC. A team of NMC is likely to visit Tinsukia Medical College in January or February next year for an inspection. The Tinsukia Medical College will have around 100 seats. If all goes well, I believe we will be able to open the medical college in the new academic year beginning in June 2024”.

Prior to that, the state government will first begin with the Outpatient Department (OPD) and Inpatient Department (IPD) services at the medical college hospital. Additionally, the chief minister mentioned the plans to appoint 85 doctors to the Tinsukia Medical College.