Assam Government Approves INR 500 Cr Proton Therapy Unit at GMCH
The facility at GMCH is expected to be the first proton therapy unit in the Indian public healthcare system, designed to provide advanced cancer radiation therapy and care
The Assam government has approved the procurement and installation of a proton therapy system worth INR 500 crore at the State Cancer Institute of Gauhati Medical College Hospital (GMCH), aimed at strengthening advanced cancer treatment services in the state’s public health system.
Once operational, the facility at GMCH is expected to be the first proton therapy unit in the Indian public healthcare system, designed to provide advanced cancer radiation therapy and care that is currently available only at select private hospitals in Mumbai and Chennai.
The initiative is intended to support the expansion of a specialised oncology care hub within the state.
Further, the new facility is expected to reduce the need for patients from Assam and neighbouring regions to seek treatment outside the state and lower travel and treatment-related costs for patients from Assam and other northeastern states.
Commenting on its significance, CM Himanta Biswa Sarma said, “By spending Rs 500 crore, we decided to bring a proton therapy machine to the cancer grid in Assam. At present, proton therapy machines are available only with Tata and Apollo (Chennai). In no government system in the country is a proton therapy machine available.”
He added, “Assam will be the first state in the country to have a proton-based therapy machine in the public health system. A new horizon in medical tourism will open up in Assam with the procurement of this machine.”
In addition to this project, the government has been expanding cancer care infrastructure across the state. Assam has planned 17 cancer hospitals as part of its healthcare strategy, with several already operational, with further plans to upgrade radiological and oncology equipment in existing facilities.
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