Guwahati, Aug. 11: Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi today inaugurated a regional geriatric centre at Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), comprising a 30-bed ward, semi-intensive care units, an outpatient department, a library and a recreation area for patients.

Health and family welfare minister Nazrul Islam was present on the occasion along with other senior officials of the state health department.

The Union government had selected eight medical colleges across the country for a regional geriatric centre and the GMCH is the only one selected from the northeastern region.

An amount of Rs 5.23 crore has been sanctioned for this centre, of which the Union government has already released Rs 3.75 crore.

The state government will fund 20 per cent of the expenditure.

"We are glad that we have been able to establish a regional geriatric centre at the GMCH to offer medical care to the elderly population. All facilities will be provided to ensure that they receive quality treatment here.

"The state government is keen on providing healthcare facilities to the elderly population residing in rural areas of the state. I urge the doctors to treat elderly patients who come to the hospital with multiple health problems with compassion," Gogoi said.

"Though our healthcare facilities have improved much and affordable quality treatment is available for the people of the state, patients do suffer because of wrong treatment. Human error may occur, but no patient should suffer because of negligence of the medical staff," Gogoi said.

According to the 2011 census, 6.5 per cent of the state's population comprise elderly persons above 60 years.

"With improvement in medical treatment, the longevity of the elderly population has increased.

"The geriatric centre was our dream that materialised today. It will immensely help in providing medical care to the elderly who are not in a position to attend the general outpatient department and wait for long durations for their turn. We will also train doctors and nurses on geriatric care. In fact, money has been provided by the Union government to conduct training on geriatric care for medical personnel in all districts," the director of medical education, Assam, B.P. Chakraborty, said.

Licence: Gogoi today said the Centre should scrap the existing process of acquiring licences for tea factories in order to facilitate small tea growers to realise good prices for their produce. Gogoi said the state government would soon set up a tea research centre in the state.