Skip to content Skip to navigation

Unhealthy state of Assam health sector


In spite of tall talks of Assam Chief Minister, Tarun Gogoi and the minister of health and family welfare, Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma, about record progress in health sector in respect of establishment of health sub centers, appointment of doctors etc; the picture in this sector is far behind the truth. Construction of hospital buildings, payment of salaries and wages, organizing public meetings about awareness and precautions against diseases, can in no case be treated as the progress in health sector.


It may be mentioned here that one health sub centre is required for every five thousand population in both rural and urban areas. Against every five thousand population, doctors, nurses and instruments of health checkups should always be available. According to 2011 census, Assam’s population is 3,11,69,272. In order to provide proper health services to this population Assam requires 6,234 health sub centers, but this state has failed to provide health services even to the population of 2001 census, which was 2,66,00,000. As per reports available at the beginning of National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) scheme, 5,063 health sub centers should have been established in Assam, but it has 4,592 sub centers only. Even now, there is a shortfall of 471 sub centers. Besides, many sub centers have no proper maintenance. Doctors and nurses are not seen at certain centers. At the same time Assam should have 206 community health centers, whereas it has 103 such centers only. On the other hand primary health centers need 844 doctors against which it has 408 doctors only. The state requires 103 surgeons, but it has 73 surgeons only. Against its requirement of 412 specialists, the state has 365 only.


As regards Assam’s claims of giving importance to construction of primary health centers, it is found that 103 centers are still under construction. Similarly the state has failed to provide health services even to the population according to 2001 census. Now, the population according to 2011 census has gone up to 3,11,69,272 as against 2,66,00,000 in 2001 census.. The state’s health department has overlooked this fact. This state has the highest mortality rate of children and women in the country. The Nation’s BPL population is 26.10 percent and Assam’s BPL percentage is 36.09. During last ten years 1,100 people have died of encephalitis.


The Union government has given importance to establishment of Ayush directorate. For this purpose Rupees 1.5 crore has been shown in the budget for 232 appointments on contract basis, but Ayush director and deputy director could not be appointed. There is no city family welfare centre in the state. For improving the health sector even services of NGOs have not been taken adequately. Further, there is no co-ordination in the working of state’s health directorate and National Rural Health Mission (NRHM).Even there is no evidence of utilization of funds allocated to family welfare head.


Similarly, lakhs of people in Assam at grassroots are deprived of health services. Under NRHM scheme thousand crores of rupees scam have come into the light. Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) and NGOs have alleged that in Assam, in the name of purchases of medicated mosquito nets, health department has spent Rs.84.48 crore ignoring all procedures. The mosquito nets, which were purchased by Goa state government at the rate of Rs.199 each, have been purchased by Assam government at the rate of Rs.400 each. Even NRHM Director Prateek Hajela has admitted that in Goalpara district irregularities were found and report in this connection was true. Irregularities have also been found in pulse polio programmes. A number of irregularities have been found in the health department during last few years.




Add new comment

Random Stories

NFNE condemns assault on Journalists in Arunachal

18 Dec 2010 - 1:24pm | editor
National Federation of Newspaper Employees has expressed shock at the incident of assault on two women journalists of Arunachal Pradesh and condemned the incident. The national organization of...

Youth Congress activists at Kalgachia burning Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma's effigy

APCC suspends Himanta

25 Aug 2015 - 8:11pm | AT News
Assam Congress has suspended Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma two days after the Jalukbari MLA confirmed his move to join BJP.According to APCC sources, Dr Sarma who has been doing dissidence against Tarun...

Homecoming for Akhil Gogoi

19 Dec 2016 - 5:11pm | AT News
The uncertainty is over. Akhil Gogoi walked out of the jail on Monday much to the delights of thousands of his friends after the Gauhati High Court granted him bail in an old and complicated case....

KLO/KLA declares ceasefire

5 Nov 2011 - 10:33pm | Anup Biswas
Keeping in mind the interests and welfare of Kukis in Assam KLO/KLA declare a unilateral ceasefire with the State Govt, Central Govt and security forces in area of operations ie Kuki regions of Assam...

Other Contents by Author

Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) is a revolutionary Act of the Government of India with tremendous potentiality of eradicating unemployment situation in the country. On February 2, 2006 first phase of NREGA implementation was started in 200 districts of the country in which seven districts of Assam were also incorporated. In the year 2007, the second phase of NREGA had started where five districts of Assam were also included. The third phase started on April 1,2008 where remaining 14 districts of Assam came under the purview of the Act. Hence, at present all the districts of Assam are implementing the provisions of MGNREGA. On March 31, 2012 Assam completed...
Citizens’ First , an NGO has demanded the land vacated by shifting of Guwahati Central Jail from Fancy Bazaar area of the city to be converted into a freedom fighters’ park with green coverage and installation of Martyrs’ column. In a memorandum submitted to the Assam Chief Minister, Tarun Gogoi recently, the NGO President Jagannath Chakraborty, Working President Ajoy Dutta, Ex-MLA and General Secretary Jagannath Das have urged an important issue relating to utilization and preservation of 64 Bighas of land vacated by shifting of Central jail from the city to outside. The memorandum pointed out that the Fancy Bazaar and surrounding areas in the midst of the city...
One out of every 1000 children born, is born deaf. An undiagnosed deaf child at 3 years of age will know about 25 words, compared to over 1000 words for a hearing child of the same age. Eighty one percent of the parents of a deaf child never learn to communicate with their child. About 530 schools in India educate around 50.000 children with hearing impairment in the age group of 5 to 18 years. The other children do not receive any formal education. Ninety percent of the deaf children grow up in hearing families with little or no experience of deafness. Deaf children face a complete disconnect from the world around them. A feeling of isolation and desperate loneliness develops within the...
Established in 1901 Digboi oil refinery is not only India’s, but Asia’s first oil refinery, which is now losing its glory due to present marketing policy and mismanagement. According to the workers of the refinery the journey of oil industry in India began from Digboi in Assam. After long sixty years, Indian Oil Corporation Ltd (IOCL) came into existence in 1962, with its first refinery at Guwahati. Under the IOCL and even prior to that there was no effort by the management to increase the production capacity of this refinery. Whereas, for the survival of refinery its capacity should have been increased to 9 million MT, it came down to 0.65 million tons. In the meantime, the...
India has a long stretch of international borders with Bangladesh surrounding throughout north, east and west. On the north eastern part, Indo-Bangla borders in Assam, barbed wire fencing work is continue for a longtime. Despite all efforts infiltration of foreign nationals from that country is continue. In between the two countries a vast area, called ‘No man’s land’ is lying where a large number of Indian families are living and there is nobody to look after their convenience and welfare. They are Indians, but they are not independent like other Indians. According to official reports, beyond the wire fencing on the borders 448 families are land locked. Out of them...
Industrial development in India has been dependent on political influence and leadership, ever since Independence. As a matter of fact no fair policy could be framed for equal development of all the regions of the country simultaneously. That is why some of the regions remained completely neglected, while others developed beyond limitations, resulting in heavy congestions. Besides, the metropolis and a few big industrial centers of the country, where opportunities are ample for growth, there is vast disparity in establishment of industries in various regions. The industrialization of a particular area depends on the degree of political influence in its favor. Unfortunately, the...
Mismanagement, fund crunch and irregular supply of raw materials has put the Cachar paper mill on brink of closure. The employees and casual laborers of the mill are put under tight corner and the management has maintained complete silence over the whole affairs. Production of the paper mill has been confined to the tune of daily material collection from various sources. The supply of disproportionate raw materials could not ease the tension of high officials. Supply of bamboo, coal, lime etc, are urgently required to run the factory. The problems in supply of bamboo from North Cachar Hills to this mill began about three years back due to legal complexities, unwillingness of...
Ubati Riang, a sixty year old lady, who played a major role in bringing Barak valley militants to negotiation table with the government, is disappointed on the role of the state government for its dillydally tactics in solution of the major issues relating to the rehabilitation of those, who came forward for the peace talks. According to her recent violent incidents in the Hailakandi district of southern Assam, were the outcome of state’s inaction as regards the solution of the issues. The Riang youths are losing heart and peace is vanishing, she was reported to have said. She said that the Riangs did not ask any thing that was not possible for the government to agree. Their...
With growing intolerance and unrest minds among the youths of the country, demand for creating smaller states is growing day by day. Recently Uttar Pradesh Assembly has adopted a resolution to divide the state into four parts namely, Purvanchal, Avadh Pradesh, Paschim Pradesh and Bundelkhand. It is realized that this situation has attained importance because of the regional disparity in growth, discrimination in all rights and privileges and sense of insecurity at the individual and community level. Most of the Indian states are politically insurmountable state of affairs to all fronts especially in respect of political and economic fields. There are imbalances and unmanageable equal...
Assam Government has given a work order for construction of a ropeway project over Urvashi river Island to M/s Samir Damodar Ropeway Pvt Ltd; who have constructed four big size RCC pillars in the Umananda Island to install high structure for ropeway project. Getting this information a team of a NGO, namely, Citizens’ First, consisting of Ajay Dutta, Ex- MLA, Krishna Kanto Borooah, Jagannath Das, General Secretary of the Forum and renowned archaeologist, Dr Pradip Sarma, visited the site of construction on the Umananda Island and found that the said company has already occupied a portion of the island and piled deep inside its rock bed to raise RCC pillars. By its such act, the...