Assam government to start 35 new centres for free dialysis: Himanta Biswa Sarma

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Monday said his government will launch 35 new centres for free dialysis sessions across the state within the next two months.
   
 "In June 2019, during the pandemic, the first free kidney dialysis centre was opened in Nalbari. Since then, 41 centres have been established in 33 districts through public-private partnerships," Sarma said at a press conference.
    
He highlighted the significant increase in dialysis sessions, noting that while only 24,000 sessions were conducted in the first year, the number rose to 2,21,116 sessions during 2023-24, benefiting 5,347 patients.
    
"Our focus on expanding medical facilities has led us to decide on opening 35 additional centres in the next two months, aiming to cover all 126 constituencies in the state," Sarma added.
    
The annual budget allocated for free kidney dialysis sessions is Rs 31 crore, with Rs 16 crore provided by the central government and the remaining by the state.

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Addressing concerns regarding the Siksha Setu App, which has faced criticism from the teaching community, Sarma announced the formation of a three-member committee to evaluate the app and address issues faced by teachers in registering their attendance.
    
The committee will consist of Dean Parameshwar Iyer from IIT Guwahati, Director Sarat Kumar Patro from IIIT Guwahati, and Hiten Choudhury, Head of the Department of Computer Science and Information Technology at Cotton University. The Director of Elementary Education will serve as the member-secretary.
    
Regarding the recent marksheet scam in Gauhati University, Sarma said it was a serious issue as the software is weak and anybody can change the marks.
    
"The CID is investigating the case and we will look into the system, identify the symptoms and ensure that it is rectified," he added.
    
Nine persons have been arrested for allegedly taking money and increasing the marks in the computerised marksheet system.