Assam Clears INR 600 Cr for India’s First Public-Sector Proton Beam Therapy Facility at GMCH

Of the total project cost, INR 315 Cr will be financed through a World Bank loan for procuring the equipment, while the Assam government will contribute INR 285 Cr.

Assam has cleared INR 600 Cr to establish a Proton Beam Therapy facility at Gauhati Medical College and Hospital, positioning the state to become the first in India to offer the advanced cancer treatment through the public healthcare system.

“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,” Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said.

“With the arrival of this machine, Assam will join an illustrious league of global centres. Assam will also get a new identity in medical tourism,” he added.

The INR 600 Cr allocation will cover the procurement and installation of the therapy system, specialised infrastructure, including a dedicated bunker for the equipment, and long-term operational and maintenance support.

Of the total project cost, INR 315 Cr will be financed through a World Bank loan for procuring the equipment, while the Assam government will contribute INR 285 Cr.

The facility is expected to take at least three years to become operational.

Training doctors and specialists to operate the system is expected to take between one and one and a half years, while the project includes five years of comprehensive maintenance.

Proton Beam Therapy is currently available at only a limited number of centres in India, primarily in the private sector. Globally, only around 40 centres offer the treatment, according to the CM.

Proton Beam Therapy uses positively charged particles, or protons, to deliver radiation to tumours with greater precision, reducing radiation exposure to surrounding healthy tissues.

Sarma said the technology could enable GMCH to serve cancer patients from Assam and other parts of India while contributing to the state's medical tourism ambitions.

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