Assam's Ambitious Healthcare Expansion: Can It Recruit Enough Doctors?

Dispur, India Jul 25, 2026 ALN: When Finance Minister Jayanta Mallabaruah presented Assam's 2026-27 Budget, healthcare emerged as one of its most ambitious focus areas.

The government announced plans to establish four new medical colleges in Goalpara, Hailakandi, Hojai and Bajali, create more than 33,000 healthcare posts and, perhaps most significantly, ensure the presence of at least one MBBS doctor at every sub-centre during the current government's tenure.

For a state that has steadily expanded its medical infrastructure over the past decade, the announcement signals another major leap.

But it also raises a critical question - can Assam recruit enough doctors, specialists and medical teachers to turn that vision into reality?

Beyond brick & mortar

Assam's public healthcare network has grown rapidly in recent years. The state now has 14 medical college hospitals, 24 district hospitals, 14 sub-divisional hospitals, 199 Community Health Centres (CHCs), 1,002 Primary Health Centres (PHCs) and 4,713 sub-centres, now functioning as Ayushman Arogya Mandirs.

Under the Indian Public Health Standards (IPHS) 2022, there is no fixed doctor-to-patient ratio for government hospitals. Instead, staffing norms vary according to the type of health facility, bed strength and patient load.

While a PHC requires at least one Medical Officer, CHCs are expected to have multiple medical officers and specialists, with staffing increasing proportionately at higher-level hospitals.

Globally, however, the World Health Organization recommends one doctor for every 1,000 people.

India has officially crossed that benchmark, with the Centre estimating a doctor-population ratio of around 1:811, including allopathic and AYUSH practitioners. Yet national averages often conceal regional disparities, particularly in rural and remote areas.

Hiring hurdle

The Assam government has made significant progress in strengthening its healthcare workforce. Since 2021, it has appointed 1,683 doctors.

Yet filling existing vacancies is very different from staffing four new medical colleges while simultaneously expanding primary healthcare services.

Each new medical college requires not only clinicians but also professors, associate professors, assistant professors, resident doctors, nurses, laboratory personnel and technicians. The demand extends well beyond MBBS graduates.

Adding to the challenge is the Budget's commitment to post an MBBS doctor at every sub-centre. With nearly 4,700 sub-centres across the state, the proposal represents one of the largest expansions of primary healthcare manpower in Assam's history.

Doctors working in the public healthcare system say the challenge extends beyond recruitment to retaining staff and ensuring stable postings.

One doctor who previously served at a government medical college recalled how staffing arrangements are sometimes temporarily adjusted to satisfy inspections.

"During inspections, doctors from nearby civil hospitals or other medical colleges are often temporarily posted to the institution being assessed. We witnessed this during an inspection at Jorhat Medical College, where doctors were deputed for the inspection and later returned to their original postings," the doctor said, requesting anonymity.

While such practices may help institutions meet regulatory requirements in the short term, healthcare workers argue that they do little to address long-term manpower shortages.

Frequent transfers also remain a recurring concern. "Doctors are transferred constantly, sometimes within just a few months. One of our senior colleagues was shifted among three different medical colleges within four to five months," said Dr Krishna Doley.

Doctors say frequent reshuffling affects continuity of patient care, disrupts academic departments and makes it difficult for medical colleges to build stable faculty teams.

Another doctor posted at Barpeta Medical College pointed to inconsistencies in rural postings.

"There have been instances where doctors are officially posted in remote areas but continue working closer to their native place through administrative arrangements. Such practices defeat the purpose of rural postings and leave underserved areas without adequate medical personnel," the doctor alleged.

The impact is also felt by patients. A patient at Diphu Medical College and Hospital said the limited number of doctors often results in long waiting hours and delays in treatment.

"The medical college hospital does not have enough doctors or adequate facilities to handle the patient load. We often have to wait for a long time before we can see a doctor. Compared to the number of patients visiting the hospital every day, the number of doctors is far too low," the patient said.

Officials, however, maintain that temporary shortages are inevitable whenever a new institution is established.

"There is understaffing in newly established medical colleges during the initial months. Patients continue to receive treatment at the civil hospital until the medical college hospital becomes fully operational. Only after the necessary infrastructure is completed and doctors and staff are recruited are services shifted to the medical college hospital," an NHM official explained.

Faculty crunch

Faculty shortages have long remained one of the biggest hurdles for newer medical colleges across India, forcing institutions to compete for a limited pool of experienced teachers.

Assam's expansion will therefore require not only more doctors but also specialists willing to enter academia.

There is, however, reason for optimism. Assam's performance in NEET-UG 2026 has shown encouraging signs.

Leading the state's success story is Taswin Muttaqi Sarkar of Dhubri, who secured 685 marks and an All India Rank (AIR) of 213 in his first attempt, placing him among the country's top performers in the highly competitive medical entrance examination.

Meanwhile, Shahid Alam of Guwakuchi village in Nalbari district also cleared NEET-UG 2026 with 547 marks.

The improved performance indicates that more students from Assam are becoming nationally competitive, potentially strengthening the state's future medical workforce.

However, these students will require years of undergraduate education, internships and postgraduate training before they can fill specialist or faculty positions.

Moment of truth

Assam's healthcare expansion marks one of the state's most ambitious public health initiatives.

If implemented effectively, it could bring qualified doctors closer to thousands of villages while expanding access to medical education through four new medical colleges.

But infrastructure alone cannot deliver healthcare. Recruitment, faculty retention, transparent transfer policies, rural incentives, specialist training and administrative reforms will determine whether Assam's healthcare expansion becomes a sustainable success.

The Budget has laid out an ambitious blueprint. The challenge now is not merely constructing new hospitals and medical colleges, but ensuring there are enough doctors, specialists and teachers to keep them running.