AIIMS-Guwahati eyes role as healthcare hub for Northeast, neighbouring nations

Changsari, Aug 23: Within just two years of its inauguration, AIIMS-Guwahati, the first All India Institute of Medical Sciences in the Northeast, is positioning itself to become a premier healthcare destination not only for bordering states but also for neighbouring countries like Bangladesh, its newly-appointed president Dr. B.K.S. Sanjay has said.

Dr. Sanjay, a distinguished orthopaedic surgeon and Padma Shri awardee, underlined the institute’s immediate priority. “The first need is to strengthen the existing services and then we will start other services for the whole of the Northeast. We are first catering to the people of the nearby states and then neighbouring countries,” he said.

He indicated that several initiatives are in the pipeline, including specialised correctional surgeries for physical deformities, which will make AIIMS-Guwahati unique among the AIIMS network.

Located at Changsari, about 25 km from Guwahati city, the institute was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 14, 2023. It currently has 41 departments, 367 functional inpatient beds, and sees a daily footfall of nearly 2,000 in its outpatient department. Academic programmes include MBBS, postgraduate courses, and BSc Nursing.

Highlighting the larger role of AIIMS in bridging gaps in public healthcare, Dr. Sanjay said, “Food grains are being provided to all, free education is being ensured. Healthcare was the only aspect left in the past, and it is being taken care of now. Institutes like AIIMS-Guwahati are fulfilling this need.”

He also stressed the institute’s focus on cancer prevention and awareness, given Assam’s high disease burden. “If a malignant tumour is taken out at the initial stage, the chances of recurrence are less, it doesn’t spread easily, and the person’s life span increases,” he noted.

On drug abuse, another pressing concern in the region, AIIMS-Guwahati has established a dedicated de-addiction centre. Executive Director Dr. Ashok Puranik said the facility, supported by psychiatrists and psychotherapists, collaborates with NIMHANS, Bengaluru, and is covered under the Ayushman Bharat scheme, enabling eligible patients to receive free treatment. Awareness campaigns are also being run to address issues such as tobacco use, alcohol consumption, and mixed drug abuse, which are rampant in Assam.

While ruling out immediate expansion to other states in the Northeast due to logistical challenges such as recruitment and faculty accommodation, Dr. Sanjay emphasized that the focus remains on strengthening AIIMS-Guwahati as a centre of excellence.

- PTI