Assam’s healthcare on par with top states, says Shah; unveils Rs 2,092-Cr projects

Guwahati, March 15: Union Home Minister Amit Shah, on Sunday, said Assam’s healthcare facilities are now on par with those of leading states such as Gujarat, Maharashtra and Karnataka under the BJP government, as he inaugurated and laid the foundation stones for several major health infrastructure projects in the state.

Speaking at the newly built Pragjyotishpur Medical College and Hospital in Guwahati’s Kalapahar, Shah said the BJP-led government in Assam had worked with a clear vision to strengthen healthcare and medical education.

“The state government under the BJP worked with only one aim and it has been successful in equating Assam’s health services with states like Gujarat, Maharashtra and Karnataka,” he said.

Shah said expanding medical education infrastructure in the country was essential so that Indian doctors could serve patients not only within the country but across the world.

“It is very important to have full-fledged facilities for medical studies so that students can not only treat patients in India but also globally,” he said.

The Union Home Minister added that with the expansion of hospitals and medical institutions in the region, patients from Assam and the wider Northeast would no longer need to travel far for treatment.

“I believe patients from the state and even from across the Northeast will not have to go to far-off places for treatment,” Shah said.

During the programme, Shah inaugurated and laid the foundation stones for healthcare projects worth Rs 2,092 crore in Assam, including the Rs 675 crore Pragjyotishpur Medical College and Hospital along with its Saraswatidevi Shivkishan Daamani Academic Block.

He also virtually inaugurated cancer care centres in Golaghat and Tinsukia developed under the Assam Cancer Care Foundation, a joint initiative of the Assam government and Tata Trusts, built at a cost of Rs 135 crore each.

The Union Home Minister further virtually laid the foundation stones for several major healthcare infrastructure projects, including three super-speciality hospitals worth Rs 814 crore at Diphu Medical College, Jorhat Medical College and Barpeta Medical College, a Rs 218 crore Swasthya Bhawan at Six Mile in Guwahati, and a Rs 115 crore district health centre at Abhayapuri.

Officials said the proposed super-speciality hospitals would cost around Rs 220 crore in Diphu, Rs 310 crore in Jorhat and Rs 284 crore in Barpeta.

He also referred to the Ayushman Bharat Yojana introduced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, along with a state-level health insurance scheme launched by the Assam government.

“Today, around 85% of people in Assam do not need to spend money for treatment up to Rs 5 lakh,” Shah said.

The Home Minister also highlighted improvements in maternal healthcare services in the state. “Earlier around 70% of deliveries used to take place at home due to lack of facilities. Today, because of the network of hospitals, PHCs, CHCs and ambulances, around 98% of deliveries take place in hospitals,” he said.

Shah also criticised the previous Congress government for neglecting the health sector in the region.

“Just imagine the condition of health facilities in the Northeast ten years ago. Even the condition of Assam’s health sector was dilapidated,” he said.

The Union Home Minister alleged that during its 15 years in power in Assam, the Congress government “pocketed” Rs 150 crore annually from the state’s healthcare budget.

Referring to former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who represented Assam in Parliament for several years, Shah said the state’s health infrastructure did not see significant improvement during that period.

“Within ten years of our government, I can proudly say that the BJP government has completed the process of making Assam’s health sector and health education sector self-reliant,” he said.

He also alleged corruption in welfare schemes during the Congress rule, claiming that funds were siphoned off through irregularities in Anganwadi projects and mid-day meal schemes.

Highlighting government initiatives, Shah said the health sector budget in Assam had increased significantly.

“Under the Congress government, around Rs 150 crore was spent annually on health. In comparison, under the BJP government the health sector budget in Assam has reached around Rs 9,000 crore,” he said.

Shah also took a swipe at Rahul Gandhi over protests staged by Congress workers during an AI summit, alleging that the opposition leader was targeting the country while opposing the BJP.

“While protesting against Prime Minister Modi and the BJP, Rahul Gandhi has now started protesting against India as well,” Shah said.