DPR sent to state govt to upgrade SMCH at par with AIIMS/ NEIGRIHMS

February 26: It has been a long standing demand and necessity to upgrade the existing Silchar Medical College and Hospital (SMCH) into a medical institution of high standard with all modern amenities so that the patients of South Assam need not rush to Kolkata, Delhi, Chennai, Bangalore, Shillong or to other parts of the country for better treatment. A ray of hope in this regard was seen with the SMCH authorities sending the complete Detailed Project Report (DPR) for ‘Exploring The Feasibility of Converting Silchar Medical College & Hospital into a Medical Institution at par with the standards of AIIMS /NEIGRIHMS.’

This was informed by the social organisation “Thousand Sayantans”. Speaking to way2barak, Saumitra Shankar Choudhury, a member of the organisation and an eminent dancer of this valley said, “Today on behalf of ‘Thousand Sayantans,’ we went to meet Dr. Babul Bezbaruah, Principal of SMCH. It was there that the Principal informed us that a detailed DPR for upgrading SMCH has already been sent to the concerned department of the state government. Further, copies were sent to Additional Secretary to the Govt of Assam, Health & Family Welfare and also to the P.S to the Health Minister of Assam.” The DPR was prepared by a team of doctors of SMCH.

Saumitra Shankar Choudhury said,”I feel that the matter now needs regular persuasion with the government and our esteemed public representatives too should strive to get the DPR sanctioned at the earliest. Such a state of the art hospital at Silchar would definitely prove to be a blessing for the people of this valley.”

Infact, on 8 October, 2019, the day of Bijoya Dashami, a 25-year youth Sayantan Chakraborty complained of severe chest pain. He was then rushed to SMCH, where the doctors prescribed immediate angioplasty. However, as this facility was unavailable at SMCH, he was referred to Shillong NEIGRIHMS. But unfortunately, Sayantan breathed his last on his way to Shillong.

It is after this incident that the friends of Sayantan Chakraborty upholded the miserable plight of health facilities at SMCH and formed the organisation “Thousand Sayantans”. Their main demand is to upgrade the SMCH so that more Syantans need not die without treatment. Another friend of deceased Sayantan said, “The Medical College observed its golden jubilee very recently, yet major departments like cardiology, urology, neurology etc. are almost non-existent. There is even no trauma centre over here. We demand these facilities at the earliest at SMCH.”