Guwahati: The Assam Cabinet has approved Rs 600 crore to set up a proton beam therapy facility at Guwahati Medical College (GMC), Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Sunday.
Sarma said the proposed facility would be the first proton beam therapy facility in India’s public healthcare system. Guwahati Medical College would become the third hospital in the country, across the public and private sectors, to offer the technology, he said.
Proton beam therapy is used to treat certain cancers and enables more targeted radiation delivery, potentially reducing exposure to surrounding healthy tissues. The facility is expected to cater to patients from Assam and other parts of the country.
The Cabinet also approved a package of around Rs 50,000 crore for various capital-intensive projects across Assam.
Sarma said the funding would be mobilised through the state’s own resources, borrowings from the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) and funds available under various Central government schemes.
The package will focus on strengthening primary healthcare infrastructure, schools and Anganwadi centres, besides providing housing for tea garden workers.
Funds will also be allocated to strengthen Assam’s road and power networks, while a portion will be used to strengthen anti-flood embankments in different parts of the state.