Jorhat, Jan. 12: The Assam government has decided to upgrade and extend the services of Cinnamara tea estate hospital, located on the outskirts of Jorhat town in Upper Assam, to more people.

Cinnamara tea estate, owned by the ailing Assam Tea Corporation Limited (ATCL) - a PSU of the state government - was set up by Maniram Dewan about 160 years ago, the first Assamese tea planter and martyr during the 1857 uprising against the British rule.

The garden, having two out divisions - Hatigarh and Murmuria - spread over a plantation area of 772 hectares, has a population of about 7,000.

Jorhat deputy commissioner Solanki Vishal Vasant told The Telegraph today that the government has decided to upgrade the Cinnamara garden hospital into a full-fledged one and open the hospital to people of the adjoining villages of the estate.

Joint director of health department (Jorhat)#Dr Mubidur Rahman said the 30-bedded garden hospital, which earlier had 100 beds, has good infrastructure as it was the central hospital for ATCL gardens in the district.

It could be developed into a full-fledged public hospital, he said.

Rahman said the government had taken the decision with an aim to upgrade the hospital's services, which were affected about 10 years back because of financial crisis the ATCL had faced, and also because of rising demand from people from villages of adjoining areas of the tea estate to provide proper medical services as there was no PHC, dispensary or a mini hospital in the surrounding areas of the garden.

The joint director said in the entire Cinnamara area and the adjoining Karanga area there was no PHC with people of over 50 villages demanding a health centre.

He said the government through the National Health Mission (Assam) has sanctioned Rs 59 lakh to carry out renovations and repairs of the garden hospital to make it ready for providing better service to garden workers and the public.

Rahman said renovation started a few days back and is expected to be completed within a month or so.

He said after completion of the renovation, an MoU between the Jorhat District Health Society and the ATCL will be signed regarding running of the hospital, its upgrade and opening to the public.

He said adequate number of doctors, nurses, paramedics and other supporting staff will be appointed by the government depending on the requirement, and necessary infrastructure will be installed.

Cinnamara garden manager Rajat Dutta, while welcoming the decision, said since a few years back the government under a public-private partnership initiative had extended medical services to several gardens of the state to enhance the healthcare system and Cinnamara was one the estates.

He said the garden hospital was functioning with a doctor and a support staff of about 10 people that included nurses and paramedics.

Dutta said the hospital had provisions for institutional delivery barring surgery and there was a warmer installed for newborns.

Dutta said serious cases were referred to Jorhat Medical College and Hospital.