AMCH marks 79th anniversary, felicitates MBBS toppers

Dibrugarh: Assam Medical College and Hospital (AMCH) in Dibrugarh commemorated its 79th foundation day on Monday.Elaborate celebrations honouring its pioneering role as the northeast’s first medical college and its contribution to regional healthcare marked the event.The event included felicitation of distinguished alumni and presentation of prizes to MBBS toppers.The day-long festivities began with AMCH principal and chief superintendent Prof. Sanjeeb Kakati hoisting the institution’s flag at the AMCH outpatient department complex, marking the commencement of a celebration steeped in history and tradition.In a tribute to the college’s academic legacy, lecture halls were dedicated in the names of legendary teachers who moulded generations of medical professionals.The celebration continued with an open session at the Dr John Berry White auditorium, where faculty members, students, staff, and nurses assembled to reflect on the institution’s remarkable journey since its establishment. Kakati delivered the annual report, outlining the college’s achievements and reaffirming its commitment to medical education.“This institution stands as a testament to the vision of those who believed in bringing quality medical education to the northeast,” Kakati said.

Amongst the guests of honour were Brahmaputra Cracker and Polymer Limited (BCPL) chief managing director Pranjal Changmai and Dibrugarh mayor Dr Saikat Patra, an AMCH alumnus.“AMCH has not only produced competent doctors but has been instrumental in improving healthcare access across the entire region for nearly eight decades,” Changmai said.The festivities extended into the evening hours with campus illumination, transforming the medical college grounds into a spectacular display of lights, followed by a vibrant cultural programme that brought together the entire AMCH community in celebration of their shared heritage.The college’s origins can be traced to 1900 with the establishment of the Berry White Medical School, named after Dr John Berry White, a British surgeon who arrived in Assam in 1858 to serve under the East India Company. After 24 years of dedicated service in upper Assam, Dr White retired as civil surgeon from the undivided Lakhimpur district in 1882.In an extraordinary act of philanthropy, Dr White donated his entire life savings of fifty thousand rupees — a princely sum at that time — to establish a medical school in the region.

This visionary contribution marked the beginning of allopathic medical education in Assam and laid the foundation for what would become, through upgradation in 1947, the Assam Medical College — the first medical college in the northeast.The transformation from the Berry White Medical School to Assam Medical College represented a pivotal moment in the region’s medical education landscape, establishing a centre of excellence that would serve the healthcare needs of millions across the northeast.Today, AMCH continues to function as a cornerstone of medical education and healthcare delivery in the region, having trained thousands of doctors who serve communities across the northeast and beyond.