Guwahati, Nov. 15: Dispur will embark on the next round of bypass surgeries under its hugely popular coronary artery bypass graft programme from tomorrow at Gauhati Medical College and Hospital.

Besides bypass surgeries, the government is also providing chemotherapy, anti-rejection drugs for kidney transplant patients and pacemakers free of cost.

One of the patients who will have a bypass surgery tomorrow is Dimbeswar Sa-ikia, 55, of Morigaon a CRPF jawan posted in Dimapur.

Health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who has been credited with innovative ideas to make expensive healthcare accessible to the non-affluent section of society, said the response to the various efforts had been overwhelming.

“Yes, there has been a overwhelming response...but this is not the end of the road, it is just the beginning. We want to reach expensive healthcare to the poorer section of our society,” he said.

Sarma said the government had so far spent about Rs 12 crore on chemotherapy and Rs 5 crore on kidney transplant patients.

Saikia is suffering from multiple blockages in his arteries and urgently needs a bypass surgery. An operation outside the state would have cost him more than Rs 3.5 lakh which he can ill afford.

“Undergoing a bypass surgery at a hospital outside the state would have cost at least Rs 3.5 lakh but thanks to the Assam government, I will be operated upon tomorrow at the GMCH free of cost,” Saikia said from his hospital bed.

“This programme is a godsend to me,” he said.

This phase of the bypass graft programme will continue till Sunday. During this period, around 11 cardiac patients will undergo bypass surgery. These surgeries will be jointly performed by the cardiac surgeons of the GMCH and a 12-member team from Delhi-based Max Healthcare.

Md Fazalur Rahman, 67, has travelled all the way from Thoubal district in Manipur to undergo a bypass surgery at the GMCH.

“It is indeed a praiseworthy initiative by the Assam government. If this scheme was not there, maybe I would not have been able to afford the surgery,” Rahman said.

“Another good thing about the programme is that cardiac surgeons from New Delhi will be performing the surgeries here in Guwahati.”

Similar are the views of 72-year-old Padma Nath Gogoi of Rajmai in Sivasagar district who is admitted to the cardio-thoracic surgery department of the GMCH awaiting surgery under the programme.

“It is a laudable step by the government towards saving lives as lack of funds is preventing many from undergoing a bypass surgery,” he said. An official with the health department said patients, who were going outside the state for chemotherapy had been returning ever since the programme was launched.

“Now, fewer patients need to go outside and spend so much,” he said, adding the various programmes had received appreciation from the Centre too. Forty-five people have undergone the bypass surgery so far.

Tomorrow two more are scheduled to be operated upon. One of whom is Saikia while the other person is yet to be decided. If both the surgeries take place, the number will go up to 47.

Only last week, the state government announced that from January next, free medical advice on various ailments would be available through a toll-free number.

A pool of 100 doctors will be at hand to answer to the patients’ queries and offer advice and guidance.