Bongaigaon, Feb. 17: Union minister for health and family welfare Jagat Prasad Nadda today conducted a bhumi pujan for Dhubri Medical College and Hospital on the Dhubri civil hospital campus.
Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal and health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma were present at the event along with a number of central and state health department officials.
Nadda told the gathering that the medical college was a part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's dream to reach out to the remotest corner of the country with healthcare facilities and that there would be no dearth of funds for starting any healthcare scheme in the country.
"Our priority is to reach to the economically backward in states like Assam and others in the Northeast with modern healthcare facilities and services. Setting up AIIMS and medical colleges are part of the initiative. Accordingly, Rs 756 crore has been sanctioned for four new medical colleges in Assam. We are also focusing on rapid upgrade of district civil hospitals, primary health centres and others so that patients do not need to be rushed to Delhi and other bigger cities for treatment," Nadda said.
Amrit Dindayal Medical Store will be opened in 16 districts of the state to help poor patients get essential medicines at cheaper price, he said, adding that 36 such stores have already been opened in the country.
Sarma described today's event as "historic". He said to get the 108- bigha land for the college, the government had to struggle really hard.
He assured land owners, who had to part with their plots, that they would be compensated by March 31.
The construction of the 500-bed medical college will be complete within three years. The college will offer 100 seats to MBBS students. Altogether Rs 189 crore have been sanctioned for the project, of which the Center's share is Rs 162 crore, Sarma said.
Lamenting that the foundation stone of the medical college was laid way back in 2011 but construction could not be started because of various constraints, Sarma, who was the health minister then too, said: "I assure the people of Dhubri that the construction of the college will start within 48 hours and will be completed within three years."
Sarma spoke about the launch of a scheme to provide an assistance of Rs 2 lakh to heart, kidney and cancer patients, medicines through Amrit Dindayal Medical Stores and pathological tests, CT scan and X-ray at a lower cost.
Sonowal described the move as fulfilment of his government's pre-election promise. "Today is a red letter day for a historic district like Dhubri. The government is committed to bring about the overall development of Dhubri," he said.
The government has set aside priorities for Dhubri, the chief minister said. Sectors like communication, education, transportation and other social areas will be put on the development track.
