Super speciality hospital at Silchar in state budget; ‘Thousand Sayantans’ thank Himanta

March 6: Assam State Finance Minister, Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma presented the last full-fledged Budget on Friday in Assam Legislative Assembly. Dr. Sarma announced 18 flagship programmes in the state budget for FY 2020-21. In his budget speech, the Finance Minister said that the process of making a super speciality hospital in PPP Model in Silchar has already been started.

Expressing their reaction, the members of ‘Thousand Sayantans’ expressed their thanks to the Finance Minister. Speaking to way2barak, Saumitra Shankar Choudhury, a member of the organisation and an eminent dancer of this valley said, “This is one of our long standing demand for the people of this valley. i would like to take this opportunity to thank the minister for this vital announcement. We have been constantly demanding to upgrade Silchar Medical College & Hospital (SMCH) to a super speciality hospital. Today’s announcement by the minister is an added gift for us. Silchar will now have two medical institution of high standard with all modern amenities.”

‘Thousand Sayantans’ made a plea to the state government to materialise the announcements made by the Finance Minister at the earliest. Mr. Choudhury said, “Given the rush of patients in Silchar, it is indeed heartening to learn that 2 state of the art hospitals will come up here.”

It needs mention here that SMCH authorities has sent a 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.’

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.”

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