Assam: $398.8M to Become Regional Medical Hub

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved USD 398.8 million in financing to strengthen Assam’s healthcare and medical education systems, marking one of the largest investments in the state’s tertiary healthcare infrastructure.

Under the Assam State Tertiary Health Care Augmentation Project, the government is modernising Gauhati Medical College and Hospital into a super-speciality centre, while upgrading Assam Medical College in Dibrugarh and Silchar Medical College. These institutions will form a network of centres of excellence (CoE) under the Srimanta Sankaradeva University of Health Sciences.

The project emphasizes climate-resilient, gender-responsive infrastructure, digital hospital systems, and modernised medical education, including smart classrooms, simulation-based training, and curriculum reforms integrating gender and climate considerations. ADB Country Director Mio Oka highlighted, “Assam’s health system faces critical gaps, with high maternal and infant mortality and severe shortages in tertiary care.” The initiative aims to improve tertiary care quality, enhance healthcare workforce training, and strengthen the state’s capacity for research, partnerships, and continuous learning—positioning Assam as an accessible and affordable regional medical hub.

News by Rahul Yelligetti.