Assam’s government cancer hospital network unmatched in India: Himanta Biswa Sarma

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on March 15 said the state now runs an extensive network of government cancer hospitals, describing it as unmatched by any other state in India.

Speaking at a programme where two new cancer treatment centres were inaugurated, Sarma said Assam had planned a network of 17 cancer hospitals under the Assam Cancer Care Foundation (ACCF), a joint initiative between the state government and Tata Trusts. Of these, 12 are already operational.

Two more cancer treatment centres — located in Golaghat and Tinsukia — were inaugurated virtually by Union Home Minister Amit Shah from Guwahati. Each facility has been developed at a cost of ₹135 crore under the ACCF project.

Recalling the origins of the initiative, Sarma said the project was conceived before the COVID-19 pandemic during a meeting attended by Shah and industrialist Ratan Tata.

“You all must remember that before COVID, Ratan Tata had come to Assam in the presence of the Home Minister,” Sarma said. “The Home Minister had told Ratan Tata that you should build a cancer hospital in every state of the Northeast. Assam then dreamt a bigger dream.”

According to the chief minister, the Assam government and Tata Trusts signed an agreement to jointly establish 17 cancer hospitals across the state, with each side contributing 50 per cent of the cost.

“From chemo to radiotherapy to surgery — today we have 12 cancer hospitals. Two more were inaugurated by the Home Minister today in Golaghat and Tinsukia, and with three more that dream will be complete,” Sarma said, adding that “no other states in the government sector have such a network of cancer hospitals as Assam has today”.

Earlier in the day, Shah inaugurated the newly built Pragjyotishpur Medical College and Hospital in Guwahati. He also laid foundation stones for super-speciality hospitals at the medical colleges in Diphu, Jorhat and Barpeta.

Foundation stones were also laid for the Swasthya Bhawan at Sixmile in Guwahati and the Abhayapuri District Hospital.

Addressing a public rally in the city, Shah praised Sarma’s push to strengthen the state’s healthcare system, saying the chief minister had moved towards making Assam a “complete state” in the health sector.

“He has made Assam self-sufficient in the health sector even before the end of his term,” Shah said.

Shah added that the government aims to ensure that patients from Assam no longer need to travel to cities such as Chennai, Mumbai, Karnataka or Delhi for cancer treatment.

“Himanta was telling me in the car today that he wants to make Assam such that not a single patient has to go outside Assam to seek treatment,” Shah said. “I am very happy that patients who used to travel from here to other states for cancer treatment will now be able to receive treatment in government hospitals closer to their families.”