Silchar / Hailakandi / Karimganj: Assam: Amid growing attention on healthcare infrastructure in Assam’s Barak Valley, local leaders and residents are intensifying their call for new medical colleges in all three districts — Cachar, Hailakandi and Sribhumi, (Karimganj) to address persistent gaps in medical education and services.
New Medical College Projects Announced
In a major development for the region’s medical education landscape, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma laid the foundation stone for a new medical college at Ramakrishnanagar in Sribhumi (Karimganj) district in March 2024, marking a significant expansion of health infrastructure in Barak Valley after decades of unmet demand.
According to The Times of India (Mar 2, 2024), the project — expected to cost around ₹578 crore — aims to bring a medical college to Sribhumi for the first time in over half a century, and is slated for completion in the coming years.
Public Demand and Protests in Hailakandi
The demand for a medical college in Hailakandi has recently intensified.
On December 3, 2025, hundreds of residents and tea garden workers in the Katlicherra area of Hailakandi district staged a protest, urging swift action to ensure a proposed medical college and hospital at Rangabak is built without delay.
Local protesters carried placards and marched to the proposed site, highlighting long-standing frustrations over limited access to advanced healthcare and professional medical education locally.
Healthcare Gaps Underpin Urgent Calls
Barak Valley’s healthcare system continues to struggle with limited facilities.
The Silchar Medical College and Hospital (SMCH) in Cachar, the only referral medical college in the region , remains the principal healthcare hub for all three districts, but it lacks advanced specialty care and places significant travel and financial burdens on patients who currently journey long distances to cities like Guwahati or Shillong for critical treatment.
According to The Assam Tribune (Dec 6, 2025), Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma confirmed preliminary talks for establishing an AIIMS-like premier medical institute in the Barak Valley, which if materialised could transform the region’s healthcare ecosystem by offering super-specialty services and research facilities previously unavailable locally.
Leaders in Barak Valley emphasize that healthcare remains a core concern for the region’s socioeconomic development. With persistent rural health challenges, periodic floods and fragile transport links affecting access to care, stakeholders say the establishment of medical colleges in all districts is not merely an educational demand but a public health imperative.
As projects move from blueprint to ground work, residents, students and healthcare workers alike are urging authorities to accelerate implementation, ensuring that medical education and comprehensive care are truly brought to Barak Valley’s doorsteps.
