Guwahati, 06 November (HS): In a major boost to medical education and specialist healthcare services in Assam, the National Medical Commission (NMC) has approved 43 additional postgraduate (PG) medical seats at Lakhimpur Medical College and Diphu Medical College. Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma announced the development on the eve of Diwali, describing it as an important step towards expanding medical education and strengthening the state's healthcare infrastructure.

With the addition of these 43 seats, the total number of postgraduate medical seats in Assam has increased to 839. The expansion is expected to provide more opportunities for young doctors to pursue specialised medical training within the state, reducing their need to move to other states for higher education.

Significantly, all 43 newly approved seats are in clinical disciplines. These include MD General Medicine, MD Anaesthesiology, MD Paediatrics, MD Pathology, MD Radio Diagnosis, MS General Surgery and MS Obstetrics and Gynaecology. The expansion is expected to improve the availability of specialists across various medical fields.

The Chief Minister said the expansion of postgraduate medical education was an important component of the government's broader vision of developing Assam into a major centre of quality medical education and advanced healthcare services in the Northeast. More opportunities for specialised training within the state would benefit young doctors and increase the availability of qualified specialists in the healthcare system.

Dr. Sarma said the government was continuously working to expand medical education infrastructure, enhance institutional capacity and improve the quality and accessibility of healthcare services. The objective is to create an environment conducive to world-class medical education and ensure that people have access to quality and specialised healthcare facilities closer to their homes.

It may be mentioned that in the first five decades after India's Independence, only three medical colleges were established in Assam. Between 2000 and 2020, five more medical colleges were set up, taking the total to eight. Subsequently, between 2021 and 2025, the state government dedicated six new medical colleges to the people within just five years.

In 2023, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Northeast's first All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) at Changsari in Guwahati. During the same period, the Centre also established the ESIC Medical College and Hospital in Guwahati and opened it to the public.

With the inauguration of Bongaigaon Medical College and Hospital, the total number of medical colleges in Assam has increased to 17. Construction of nine additional medical colleges is underway, while the government has also decided to establish medical colleges in Bajali, Hailakandi and Majuli. The state government's objective is to establish one medical college in every district.

The expansion of medical colleges has also taken the total number of MBBS seats in Assam to more than 2,000. Once all the medical colleges currently under construction become operational, the number of MBBS seats is expected to exceed 3,000.

Alongside the expansion of medical education, the state government has also reported improvements in public healthcare indicators. According to government data, the maternal mortality ratio in Assam declined from 195 in 2018-19 to 110 during 2021-23. Similarly, the infant mortality rate decreased from 36 in 2020 to 30 in 2023.

Currently, the institutional delivery rate in the state is over 98%, while the child immunisation rate has crossed 95%.-----------

Hindusthan Samachar / Sriprakash