Assam’s Health Minister Ashok Singhal Reviews Healthcare Services in Cachar District
Assam Health Minister Ashok Singhal Reviews Cachar Healthcare Services, Launches Helpline
Silchar; February 01, 2025: Reinforcing the Assam government’s steadfast commitment to public welfare, Health & Family Welfare & Irrigation ,Minister Ashok Singhal conducted a thorough review of healthcare services in Cachar district. Addressing a press conference at the old conference hall of District Commissioner’s office on Friday, the Minister highlighted the government’s unwavering resolve to enhance the healthcare system, address critical challenges, and provide quality medical services to every citizen.
Minister Singhal assured that hospitals across Assam maintain a 99% availability of essential medicines, ensuring uninterrupted treatment for patients. To enhance transparency and efficiency, he launched a dedicated WhatsApp helpline (9864541430), allowing the public to report medicine shortages and enabling swift government intervention. Stressing affordability in medical care, he urged government doctors to prescribe hospital pharmacy medicines and promote the use of generic alternatives to reduce patient expenses.
Earlier,In a high-level review meeting at new conference hall of Cachar District Commissioner’s office, the Minister assessed the progress of ongoing healthcare projects and directed officials to focus on infrastructure upgrades and enhanced medical accessibility, particularly for underprivileged communities. Key discussions included the Wage Compensation Scheme for pregnant women labourers of Tea Garden area, MMR and IMR review and strategies to combat Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs). He reiterated the government’s commitment to providing the necessary resources to strengthen healthcare facilities in the district.
During his two-day visit to Barak Valley, on Friday, Minister Singhal personally engaged with patients at Ayushman Arogya Mandir and Silcoorie Tea Garden Hospital, gaining firsthand insights into their healthcare experiences. In a distinctive gesture underscoring the government’s patient-centric approach, he underwent a routine health check-up alongside regular patients. He later inspected the Silchar Medical College & Hospital (SMCH), reviewing the newly constructed 500-bed facility, maternity ward, emergency services, and casualty department. A subsequent meeting with Principal Dr. Bhaskar Gupta and senior doctors focused on strategies to enhance medical services at SMCH.
Earlier, Minister Ashok Singhal,who arrived in silchar for a 2-visit to Barak valley on thursday morning to assess the healthcare infrastructure and services in the region ,visited M.G Model hospital Katigorah along with Dr. P. Ashok Babu, Commissioner & Secretary, Health and Family Welfare Department, Mridul Yadav, District Commissioner of Cachar, Dr. Khalida Sultana Ahmed ,Additional district commissioner incharge health, Dr. S. Roy, Joint Director of Health Services, Cachar and officials from the District Programme Management Unit (DPMU) and staff of various Primary Health Centres ,where he thoroughly examined all the wards and the services available at the facility. During his visit, he engaged with healthcare professionals and reviewed the operational aspects of the hospital. He also instructed the Additional District Commissioner (Health) to submit a detailed report on the hospital’s functioning, identifying the areas that require improvement and suggesting necessary enhancements to strengthen healthcare delivery.
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Reaffirming the government’s vision for a stronger healthcare system, Minister Singhal emphasized the Assam government’s commitment, under the leadership of Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma, to modernizing medical infrastructure, ensuring uninterrupted medicine availability, and implementing patient-friendly policies. The minister also stated that the proactive and hands-on governance approach aims to revolutionize medical services across the state, ensuring accessible, affordable, and high-quality healthcare for every citizen.
