Guwahati: Taking the total number of MBBS seats in Assam to 1000, Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal recently inaugurated the first academic session of the MBBS course at the newly built Diphu Medical College (DMC), exuding hope that this will help improve healthcare facilities in the hilly districts of the state.
The new medical college has started with an intake capacity of 100 students. With this, the total number of MBBS seats in the state would rise up to 1,000.
During the function held on Tuesday, the CM inaugurated several other projects of Assam PWD for the hill district as well in the presence of Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Himanta Sarma.
UNI reports, Sarma, expressing on the inauguration stated that the setting up of new medical colleges, meritorious students from middle and lower middle-class families have been able to access medical education.
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The Times of India, in the latest media report, adds that although the foundation of DMC had been laid in 2011 when Himanta had been the health minister in the Congress-led Government, claimed that the work gained momentum after BJP came to power in 2016. After overcoming several obstacles and in appointments and construction, the hospital section of DMC became functional on November 25, 2019.
While commenting on the matter, Minister Sarma mentioned in his speech, as quoted by News Live, "After the laying of the foundation stone, elections in Assam took place. I became the health minister again and started the construction of Diphu Medical College. I left the health department or council of ministers following turn of political events. Probably within 15 days of assuming the office of health minister again in 2016, I visited this site. The project was almost abandoned then."
He added, "Today is a day of happiness for me. I am fortunate to witness the arrangements and development of four medical colleges set up in Assam in the last decade at Barpeta, Tezpur, Jorhat and Diphu."
Minister Himanta further informed TOI, "With an intake capacity of 100, we are going to start the medical college here and this is a significant move in a place like Diphu which is impacted by adverse weather conditions."
Chief Minister Sonowal, while giving his speech during the inaugural ceremony said, "We have aimed at making Assam one of the best and developed states of India. The new generation should work hard and concentrate on studies to realize these dreams," reports News Live.
Talking about the increase in the numbers of medical seats in the State, minister Sarma further told TOI, "In 2006, Assam had 364 medical seats but today, it has gone up to 1,000 (MBBS seats). It's like a dream come true for many students from middle-class families who could not have afforded huge fees at private medical colleges."
Giving more information on the numbers of seats in BDS, the minister informed the daily that the number now stands at 176 and there are currently 711 seats available for students to pursue post-graduation in the State. The numbers of paramedical education have increased as well. The previous number of 332 in 2016, now has gone up to 817.
The efforts of setting up Government medical colleges in Lakhimpur, Dhubri, Nagaon, Kokrajhar, Nalbari, Tinsukia and a second medical college in Guwahati have brought good result, the health minister informed.
Finally, speaking about the district hospital at Hamren (West Karbi Anglong district), the minister informed the daily that the work is going in full swing. On the other hand, the work for the hospital in Bokajan (Karbi Anglong district) would start within a week.
Both the Chief Minister and the Health Minister of the State has shared the pictures of the inaugural ceremony on their Twitter handles.