Assam Plans 29 Medical Colleges by 2030

Guwahati: In a bold push to revolutionise healthcare in Assam, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma recently announced an ambitious plan to establish 29 medical colleges across the state by 2030- a move aimed at ending the doctor shortage and bringing quality healthcare to the doorsteps of rural and remote communities.

As per a recent UNI report, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Wednesday that the government is working on a roadmap of setting up 29 medical colleges by 2030 in the state.

These medical colleges will go a long way in addressing the demand-supply mismatch of doctors in the state, enabling the government to send more doctors to villages and remote areas making health care facilities more accessible and accountable.

The CM said this while presenting appointment letters to 400 Medical and Health Officers at a programme held at GMCH auditorium here on Wednesday.

He also said that the government has launched a transformative journey in health sector. "To fulfil the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, total 4,962 numbers of Ayushman Arogya Mandirs have been made functional for strengthening comprehensive primary health care in the State," he said.

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The CM also said that as a part of the transformative journey at present 13 Medical College & Hospitals, 22 District Hospitals, 17 Sub-Divisional Hospitals, 221 Community Health Centres, 1017 Primary Health Centres and 4875 Sub-Centres are functioning in the State with doctors and paramedics to make healthcare facilities advanced, accessible and accountable.

The CM also said that considering the ever-changing landscape of the health care delivery system and the influence of technology, government is taking steps to make the health sector more patient friendly and technology friendly.

Sarma said that ever since this present dispensation has come to power the government has been steadfast to address the demand-supply mismatch of doctors. He said that it was the triggering factor for the government to increase the number of medical colleges across the state.

He said that the 13 medical colleges that are functional at present are producing around 1,600 doctors annually.

The CM said that his government is taking all possible steps to ensure adequate numbers of doctors including specialists are placed at Prime Health Centre, Community Health Centres and First Referral Units to meet to the provisions of accessible and equitable health care to all, thereby bringing improvement in overall health status of the people of the state, he added.

It may be noted that in this batch of 400 doctors there are 36 specialist doctors in various fields like Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Anesthesia, Medicine, Dermatology, Orthopaedics, etc., to meet the health service delivery needs of the district hospitals, civil hospitals, FRUs, etc.

Since 2021, the present government appointed 1,283 doctors and with the addition of 400 more doctors, the number has reached 1,683.

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