Dibrugarh, Feb. 12: Union health and family welfare minister Jagat Prakash Nadda today laid the foundation stone of the super-specialty block at Assam Medical College and Hospital (AMCH) under Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana in Dibrugarh.
The Centre has sanctioned Rs 150 crore for the super-specialty block.
The proposed block will consist of neurology, neuro-surgery, cardiology, cardio-thorasis and vascular surgery, cardio cathelab, paediatric surgery and urology. There will be five operation theatres, 192 beds and 62 ICU beds in the block.
Later, addressing a news conference, Nadda said in two years the super-specialty block will be completed and 18 months will be targeted for the completion of the construction.
Nadda said, "AMCH is one of the premier institutions in Northeast and if the management of the hospital will come up with some of the best projects we will give full support to it.''
He said four district hospitals of Assam would be upgraded as medical colleges. "We have taken up a project of Rs 189 crore each for four existing district hospitals namely North Lakhimpur, Dhubri, Nagaon and Diphu,'' Nadda said.
He said Rs 22 crore has been released by the government for the four hospitals and the rest of the amount would be released in the second phase. "We need five acres of land for the project. We have got only three acres in Diphu. If we get the remaining land our project will come up soon. We are trying.''
"There are 793 registered tea garden hospitals in Assam and of that, 266 lack basic amenities and need upgrade. Therefore, we will upgrade the hospitals with modern technology and make available free medicine services to the tea garden people,'' he said.
"We have also taken up a project to strengthen the existing hospitals which lack modern technology.''
Nadda asked the state government to submit the project as funds would be released after that.
Union sports minister Sarbananda Sonowal, Dibrugarh MP Rameshwar Teli, Jorhat MP Kamakhya Prasad Tasa, health minister Nazrul Islam, Dibrugarh MLA Prasanta Phukan and Dibrugarh deputy commissioner M.S. Manivannan accompanied the Union minister.
