Assam approves ₹600cr proton beam therapy unit for cancer treatment: CM Sarma

“Assam will be the first state in the country to have a proton beam therapy unit in the public health care sector,” said CM Himanta Biswa Sarma

The Assam cabinet on Sunday approved purchase of a proton beam therapy unit for cancer treatment at a cost of ₹600 crore.

Chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that once the unit is set up at Guwahati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Assam will be the first state in the country to have this facility in the public healthcare sector.

“Proton beam therapy is one of the most advanced form of treatments for cancer. World Bank will provide us a loan of ₹315 crore for this and state government would spend ₹285 crore,” he said.

“Assam will be the first state in the country to have a proton beam therapy unit in the public health care sector. At present the treatment is available at two private hospitals in Mumbai and Chennai, but no state-run hospitals have that facility till date,” Sarma added.

He informed that at present there are only around 40 proton beam therapy units across the world. The technique, which uses proton beams for advanced radiation treatment is more precision-based than existing methods and has less chances of damaged nearby healthy tissues.

“Assam will join an illustrious list of places where this advanced treatment will be available. Once this treatment starts, we are hopeful of not just treating patients in our state but also attract medical tourists,” said the CM.

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The cabinet also approved expenditure of ₹50,000 crore for a period of seven years beginning 2027-28 in different sectors with the aim of transforming Assam into a developed state.

“This amount will be spent for various development works like giving ₹7 crore each to 1,000 high schools for upgradation of facilities, opening 6,000 new ‘anganwadi’ centres, setting up two women markets and a stadium in each constituency, new road network etc,” said Sarma.

“For this we will take a loan of ₹30,000 from NABARD (National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development) and spend ₹20,000 crore from state’s enhanced revenue collection,” he added.

A seasoned senior journalist, I have nearly three decades of experience across print, digital, and online platforms, covering political transitions, insurgencies, environmental issues, and development stories in India and Nepal. I am skilled in breaking news, leading editorial teams and launch of newspaper editions. I am adept at leveraging digital trends and social media to expand global reach, with a strong ethical foundation and a reputation for impactful journalism. An alumnus of Asian College of Journalism, I joined Hindustan Times in New Delhi as a trainee reporter in May 1997. Over the years, I have been posted in Dehradun, Kathmandu (Nepal) and Guwahati. Currently, as Senior Assistant Editor at Hindustan Times, I lead a team reporting on India’s northeastern states. My work involves in-depth analysis, and engaging multimedia storytelling across formats, including text, photo, video, and interactive content. I am skilled in producing timely, shareable content, leveraging digital platforms and social media to engage global audiences. Throughout my career with the Hindustan Times, I have led diverse editorial teams, designed capacity-building activities, and supported reporters in developing strong story ideas, ethical reporting practices, digital skills, and fact-checking techniques. As Senior Assistant Editor for Northeast India, I have been responsible for guiding correspondents through complex political, humanitarian, and community-level stories using multimedia formats. Earlier, as Foreign Correspondent in Nepal, I produced extensive reporting during Nepal’s democratic transition and the 2015 earthquake and its aftermath.Read More