Begin typing your search above and press return to search.

AMC lacks vital departments

By Ron Duarah

DIBRUGARH, June 22 � Assam�s oldest medical college, the Assam Medical College (AMC) formally established on November 3, 1947, may today boast of a few new buildings. Doctors, both senior and junior are offering their best services to the patients, with the help of the dedicated team of nurses. However, the State Government has been unfair to this institution in the past four decades, thereby effectively stifling organic development of the Northeast�s once premier medical institution.

Three important streams of medical science, neurosciences, gastro enterology and hematology are acutely lacking in the AMC. One would have hoped that in the 67 years of existence, the institutions should have had full fledged departments in all the medical streams. Despicably, the present Chief Minister, Tarun Gogoi, despite being in the chair for three terms � his father was intimately connected with the AMC � has done precious little for the full blossoming of the AMC.

To add to the farce, the State Government resorts to wholesale transfer of medical college teachers at the time of MCI (Medical Council of India) inspections of the State�s medical colleges. While Assam boasts of six medical colleges today, none have even the minimum prescribed technical staff. Repeated requests to the MCI to do simultaneous inspections of all the six medical colleges have elicited zero response. This ominously points to a deep rooted corruption both in the State Government as well at the Centre to whom the MCI reports. A simultaneous inspection of all six medical colleges by the MCI will expose the criminality in the administration of the State�s medical colleges. But this will never happen, however much civil society and journalists thump their chests and cry hoarse.

Old timers continue to have strong emotional bonds with the Assam Medical College. Most of these veterans are spread all over the globe. During their infrequent trips to the city � many come specifically to see their alma mater � they go back with lumps in their throats, unable to fathom the lack of proper development of the institution.

In the golden days of the AMC (basically the three decades from the Forties to the Seventies), there were many old boys from the institution who would shine brightly in the field of medical sciences. One of them, Dr Hamiduddin, created a record of sorts by attaining a post graduate medical degree from London by being the best student of the batch. A global honour for the AMC. Then there are the likes of Dr Siba Nath Baruah, Dr Nekibur Zaman, Dr Mohammed Ali Choudhury, Dr Mathura Nath Bhattacharyya, Dr Munin Dutta, Dr Bangshi Dhar Baruah, Dr Hari Prasad Baruah�.the list could be exhaustive, all of them who have contributed to the growth of the AMC and have individually left their imprints as exceptional medical scientists. Now too there is no dearth of good doctors and especially bright medical students who would continue this legacy.

A little push is what is required from the State Government to make the AMC a full scale medical college in the correct sense of the word. Will Tarun Gogoi do this bit at the fag end of his third term? Dibrugarh is also looking at him to give the green signal for the proposed AIIMS to be located in the city, in a fitting tribute to this old medical town of the country.

Next Story