Silchar, Jan. 10: Assam health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma today inaugurated a 200-bed mother and child care centre at Silchar Medical College and Hospital (SMCH), which is likely to play a pivotal role in combating high infant and maternal mortality rate.

SMCH is the only tertiary care hospital in the entire Barak Valley.

Speaking at the inaugural ceremony here, Sarma said SMCH records more than 10,000 deliveries a year. "To overcome the constraints of increasing caseloads and institutional deliveries here, a mother and child care centre is established, which will ensure all medical services and create a mother and newborn-friendly environment."

The construction of the 200-bed hospital was started in 2009 at a cost of Rs 5 crore.

The hospital will now be made operational with equipment, furniture, generator and gas pipelines worth Rs 3 crore supplied by National Health Mission, Assam.

Sarma dwelt upon the reforms he would like to bring in the health sector. He said the sector had not received any funding from the state government in the past five to six years. He said the incumbent BJP government was facing difficulties on different fronts because of the "misdeeds" of the previous Congress government.

He called upon all the medical practitioners of the state to come forward and serve people in a better way.

"The motto has to be seva (service) and it should come from within ourselves," Sarma added.

The health minister said the current infant mortality rate at SMCH was at 25 per cent, which according to him, should come down to 10 per cent in the next two years.

He said the government was also planning to set up a medical college in Karimganj.

Sarma today sanctioned Rs 10 crore for the establishment of radiotherapy department in Cachar Cancer Hospital and Research Institute.