July 19: Dispur today announced a slew of measures to modernise the hostels of Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH).

State health and family welfare minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who held a meeting with the new office bearers of the Junior Doctors’ Association (JDA), said modern facilities, available at the IIT and IIM hostels, would also be made available at the GMCH.

“The government has asked the public works department to expedite the execution of the ongoing renovation projects at all the seven hostels of the college. Once renovation is completed, the government would provide other amenities at the hostels with an aim to enable the boarders to lead a hassle-free life and concentrate on their studies. Water filter and cooler would, however, be installed at all the hostels immediately,” an official said.

Quoting the minister, the official said the necessary funds required for the modernisation of the hostels have already been released. Dispur’s initiative has come at a time when students’ and their parents are increasingly lodging complaints about the fast deteriorating condition of the hostels.

“The hostel condition has deteriorated to such an extent that many of the boarders are found taking the risk of cooking in their congested rooms. With the execution of the renovation project things are expected to improve,” a student said. Entertainment and sports facilities would also be made available at the hostels.

Besides the hostel, the government has also asked for the modernisation of the kitchen and canteen areas at the GMCH to serve healthy food to the patients and doctors. All facilities required to cook and serve food in a healthy way would also be made available in the kitchen.

Medical wastes and garbage dumped outside the hospital building has made the existing kitchen, situated on the ground floor of the hospital, an unfit place for healthy cooking.

“Cooking for 1,000-plus patients twice a day is not an easy job for which we need special infrastructure. On many occasions rice cooked a day or two days earlier are served to patients. The kitchen does not have a single refrigerator,” a cook said. Sarma also announced that an amount of Rs 25 lakh would be released to improve the condition of the hospital canteen.

Syed Tanwir Alam, president of the JDA, welcomed the government’s move.

and hoped that things would improve fast at the college as well as hospital campus. He said the minister has assured the JDA representatives that the modernisation of GMCH would be completed within the next two years.