In Assam, Health Minister Keshab Mahanta revealed in the state assembly that currently, only one medical college and hospital, Gauhati Medical College and Hospital, provides treatment across all sanctioned departments. Responding to a query by Congress MLA Rekibuddin Ahmed, Mahanta pointed out that several departments do not offer treatment in the state’s other 11 medical colleges, with the number of such departments ranging from three to 13 in each college.

Mahanta noted that in the newly established Nalbari and Kokrajhar Medical College and Hospitals, permanent grade 3, 4, and nursing staff appointments are pending, despite initiatives in that direction. Additionally, he mentioned that two ayurvedic colleges in the state offer treatment in all sanctioned departments.

Excluding Gauhati, Dibrugarh, and Silchar medical colleges, nine or more departments have yet to be established in the remaining nine medical colleges in the state. These departments include CTVS, Endocrinology, Gastroenterology, Haematology, Neurology, Nephrology, Plastic Surgery, Paediatric Surgery, and Urology.

Mahanta shared that there are currently 2,438 doctors working in various medical colleges, and an additional 456 doctors are needed. Responding to a query by AIUDF’s Karim Uddin Barbhuiya, the minister stated that work on super speciality hospitals under JICA is in progress at six medical colleges, including Silchar, Jorhat, Fakruddin Ali Ahmed Hospital (Barpeta), Tezpur, Diphu, and Lakhimpur. He added that the preliminary design work for all the super speciality hospitals has been completed, and detailed design plans are currently being prepared. Additionally, the necessary land for all these super speciality hospitals has been secured.

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