The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a USD 398.8 million loan to modernize healthcare and medical education infrastructure in the northeastern Indian state of Assam. Under the new Assam State Tertiary Health Care Augmentation Project, the funds will be used to upgrade three medical college hospitals Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Assam Medical College and Hospital (AMCH), and Silchar Medical College and Hospital (SMCH) into centers of excellence under the aegis of Srimanta Sankaradeva University of Health Sciences.
The GMCH will be transformed into a state-of-the-art super-specialty facility, featuring climate- and disaster-resilient infrastructure, gender-responsive design, and modern digital hospital systems. Meanwhile, AMCH and SMCH will be upgraded to strengthen tertiary care access across the state. Beyond infrastructure, the initiative includes enhancements to medical education: introduction of smart classrooms, simulation-based training, and curriculum reforms integrating gender and climate considerations.
The project also aims to increase institutional capacity by establishing centers of excellence, promoting research, encouraging private-sector participation and launching a medical tourism strategy. As part of its socially inclusive approach, the plan includes a one-stop crisis centre at GMCH for survivors of gender-based violence expected to benefit at least 500 women and girls.
Commenting on the loan approval, ADB’s Country Director for India, Mio Oka, said “Assam’s health system faces critical gaps, with high maternal and infant mortality and severe shortages in tertiary care. This investment will modernise tertiary health-care facilities, expand access to resilient health systems and position Assam as an affordable medical destination for the wider region and neighbouring countries.”