Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma inaugurated the Bongaigaon Medical College and Hospital on Monday, bringing the state’s total medical colleges and hospitals to 17.
The Bongaigaon Medical College and Hospital, constructed on 151 bighas of land, has been built at a cost of around ₹611 crore. It features a 430-bed hospital, an academic block, hostels for students and nurses, and other supporting infrastructure.
A Day of Multiple Inaugurations
In addition to the medical college, Chief Minister Sarma inaugurated the Bongaigaon Integrated District Commissioner’s Office, built on 24 bighas of land at a cost of ₹50 crore. He also virtually inaugurated a Model Residential School at Kacharipara in Abhayapuri (₹30 crore), upgraded infrastructure for Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya Adarsha College at Tulungia (₹11 crore), and a Model Secondary School at Birjhara Tea Estate (₹3 crore). A statue of Maharaj Naranarayan at Bongaigaon Bisarjan Ghat was unveiled at a cost of ₹34 lakh.
Expanding Medical Education in Assam
Chief Minister Sarma noted that for nearly 60 years after Independence, Assam had only three medical colleges. The state’s total MBBS seats have now surpassed 2,000 with the establishment of 17 medical colleges, including ongoing construction in several districts.
Historical Context of Medical College Expansion
During his first term as a Minister in the Assam Government in 2001, Sarma mentioned that despite extensive travel across the state, he never received requests for new medical colleges. Subsequently, the state established medical colleges in Jorhat, Tezpur, and Barpeta.
After the BJP-led government took power in Assam in 2016, a phased plan was adopted to establish a medical college in every district. Bongaigaon Medical College is a result of this initiative.
Sarma recalled that in 2006, when he first became Health Minister, only 250 students from Assam could enroll in MBBS courses at the three existing medical colleges in Guwahati, Dibrugarh, and Silchar.
Future Plans and Commitments
Chief Minister Sarma outlined ongoing and future projects, including medical colleges in Charaideo, Biswanath Chariali, Golaghat, Morigaon, Tamulpur, Dhemaji, Sivasagar, Sribhumi, and Goalpara. The government has also decided to establish medical colleges in Bajali, Hailakandi, Hojai, and Majuli in phases.
He highlighted the transformation of Bongaigaon into a modern city, with infrastructure projects like roads, a convention centre, and a stadium under the Asom Mala initiative. The state government has allocated ₹100 crore for developing Bongaigaon University into a full-fledged institution.
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