The Assam Medical College and Hospital (AMCH) in Dibrugarh marked its 79th foundation day on Monday with a day-long celebration honouring its distinguished history as North East India’s first medical college.
The festivities commenced with AMCH Principal and Chief Superintendent Prof Sanjeeb Kakati hoisting the institution’s flag at the AMC OPD complex, setting the tone for a day of remembrance and recognition. In a touching tribute to the college’s academic heritage, lecture halls were dedicated in the names of legendary teachers who shaped 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 gathered to reflect on the institution’s remarkable journey.
Prof Kakati addressed the audience and presented the annual report, highlighting the college’s achievements and ongoing commitment to medical education in the region.
“This institution stands as a testament to the vision of those who believed in bringing quality medical education to North East India,” Prof Kakati stated during his address.
The ceremony also featured the felicitation of distinguished alumni and the presentation of prizes to MBBS toppers, recognising academic excellence and the continued success of the institution’s graduates.
Among the guests of honour were Brahmaputra Cracker and Polymer Limited (BCPL) CMD Pranjal Changmai and Dibrugarh Mayor Dr Saikat Patra, himself an alumnus of AMCH.
“AMCH has not only produced competent doctors but has been instrumental in improving healthcare access across the entire northeastern region for nearly eight decades,” Pranjal Changmai said.
The celebrations extended into the evening with campus illumination, transforming the medical college grounds into a spectacle of lights, followed by a vibrant cultural program that brought together the AMCH community in celebration.
The college’s origins trace back 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 and his retirement as civil surgeon from undivided Lakhimpur district in 1882, Dr White made an extraordinary philanthropic gesture—donating his entire life savings of fifty thousand rupees, a princely sum at the time, to establish a medical school.
This visionary contribution heralded 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 entire northeastern region.
Today, AMCH continues to serve as a cornerstone of medical education and healthcare delivery in North East India, training thousands of doctors who serve communities across the region and beyond, carrying forward the legacy of service and excellence established 79 years ago.
