Guwahati, 24 October (HS): Assam Health Minister Ashok Singhal on Saturday defended the state government's decision to increase MBBS course fees, arguing that the revised rates remained substantially lower than those charged by private medical colleges. He said the hike was a conscious policy decision and that the new fee structure had been determined according to students' annual family income.

Addressing a press conference in Guwahati, Singhal pointed out that medical education at private institutions could cost around ₹40 lakh. In comparison, he described the increase introduced by the state government as modest.

Yes, the fees have been increased. Why? Because it was a decision of the government. In private institutes, people are paying ₹40 lakh for it. We have made a very small increase, the minister said.

Explaining the revised fee structure, Singhal said students whose annual family income exceeds ₹9 lakh will have to pay ₹1 lakh per year. Those belonging to families earning between ₹4 lakh and ₹9 lakh will pay ₹50,000 annually, while students from families with an income below ₹4 lakh will be charged ₹5,000 per year.

The income-based structure aims to differentiate the financial burden on students according to their family's economic circumstances, with the lowest fee applicable to students from below-poverty-line families.

The fee revision comes amid wider discussions over the affordability of medical education and equal access to professional courses in Assam and other northeastern states.

Meanwhile, the minister highlighted the government's initiatives to make specialised healthcare more accessible and affordable. He said Assam carried out around 33 to 34 kidney transplants last year, with the cost of each procedure ranging from ₹2.5 lakh to ₹3 lakh. According to Singhal, the expenses were covered under the Pradhan Mantri Arogya Nidhi and Mukhya Mantri Arogya Nidhi schemes.

He further informed that more than 30 new dialysis centres had been opened across the state over the past three months, strengthening treatment facilities for patients suffering from kidney-related ailments.

Singhal's remarks underscored the government's stated focus on balancing the cost of medical education with the need to expand affordable healthcare services. However, the revised MBBS fee structure is likely to remain a key issue in discussions surrounding access to medical education in Assam.------------

Hindusthan Samachar / Sriprakash