In a significant move toward strengthening Assam’s health sector, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday inaugurated several development initiatives involving an investment of Rs 3,679 crore. Sarma performed the Bhumi Pujan for a new building of the Gauhati Medical College Hospital (GMCH) to be built at an estimated cost of Rs 3,300 crore to transform GMCH into one of the largest government medical colleges in eastern India. It may be noted that the proposed new GMCH complex will include 2,250 beds in general wards, 400 beds in private wards, operation theatre for major and minor surgeries with 28 bed facilities, parking facilities for 1,670 vehicles, a 250 bed ICU ward, a 100-bed emergency ward, and radiology services. The Chief Minister also formally inaugurated the 832 bed Mother and Child Hospital built at a cost of Rs 376 crore within the GMCH premises.
He further dedicated to the public an indigenously developed surgical robot installed at a cost of Rs 1.47 crore, a low field Made in India MRI machine installed at a cost of Rs 1.27 crore, and 82 cardiotocography machines installed across medical colleges and district hospitals in Assam at a cost of Rs 65 lakh. It may be noted that the mother and Child Hospital include 462 beds in general wards and a 152 bed NICU complex. It also provides adequate bed capacity along with recovery rooms for mothers and newborns, antenatal and postnatal wards, pediatric and maternal primary care departments, a gynecology department, observation rooms, ICU facilities, and other essential services. Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister termed the day as historic for the state health sector. “Several cancer hospitals have been established at different locations across the state, and work is underway to set up a number of new medical colleges. In addition, the second medical college in Guwahati city has also been inaugurated,” he said.
The Chief Minister said that while these initiatives in the health sector are ongoing, there arose a pressing need to undertake transformative measures for the state’s old hospitals as well. On this basis, a fully equipped super-specialty block, a cancer hospital, and cardiology and neurology centers have been constructed within the campus of GMCH. The Chief Minister said that GMCH receives the highest number of mother and child patients and expressed his happiness at being able to inaugurate a hospital equipped with facilities comparable to those of the country’s leading medical institutions. He further said that the newly inaugurated Mother and Child Hospital would address a long-standing deficiency of Mother and Child Hospital at GMCH.
