The Assam Cabinet has approved an investment of ₹600 crore to establish India’s first proton beam therapy facility in the public healthcare sector at Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH).
The specialised cancer treatment facility is expected to take at least three years to become operational and will significantly expand Assam’s capacity to provide advanced cancer care.
The ₹600-crore project will cover the procurement and installation of the proton therapy system, construction of specialised infrastructure, including a dedicated bunker for the machine, and operational support and long-term maintenance.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the tender process for the project has already been completed. Of the total investment, ₹315 crore will be funded through a World Bank loan for procurement of the machine, while the Assam government will contribute ₹285 crore.
The Chief Minister said training doctors and other specialists to operate the sophisticated system would take around one to one-and-a-half years. The project also includes five years of comprehensive maintenance, as the state would initially require external technical support to maintain the equipment.
According to Sarma, only around 40 centres worldwide currently offer proton beam therapy, including specialised facilities in countries such as the United States and Singapore.
“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,” Sarma said.
He said GMCH would become the third hospital in India, across the public and private sectors, to house a proton beam therapy facility. Assam, however, would become the first state in the country to provide the advanced treatment through the public healthcare system.
Proton beam therapy is a highly precise form of radiation treatment used for certain types of cancer. Sarma said the technology could help minimise radiation exposure to healthy organs surrounding a tumour.
He explained that conventional radiation technologies such as LINAC and cobalt machines can sometimes expose organs beyond the targeted area to radiation, whereas proton beam therapy allows radiation to be delivered more precisely to the affected region.
At present, proton beam therapy is available only at selected healthcare facilities in India, including Apollo Hospitals in Chennai and Tata Memorial facilities.
Sarma said the new centre at GMCH would enable patients from Assam as well as other parts of the country to access advanced cancer treatment within the public healthcare system and could also boost medical tourism in the state.
