Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Guwahati: Assam Health Minister Ashok Singhal stood by the state government's decision to hike MBBS course fees on Saturday, October 24. He argued the new rates stay well below the prices charged by private medical colleges. Private institutions often demand 40 lakh rupees for the same training. The minister made his case during a press conference held in Guwahati.
Singhal defended the move. "Yes, the fees have been increased. Why? Because it was a decision of the government. In private institutes, people are paying Rs 40 lakh for it. We have made a very small increase," he said. The new structure adjusts annual payments based on a student's family income.
Students with family earnings above 9 lakh rupees must pay 1 lakh per year. Families earning between 4 lakh and 9 lakh rupees will pay 50,000 annually. Those earning under 4 lakh will pay 5,000. This tier system aims to keep medical education reachable. It specifically protects students from lower income brackets.
The minister also pushed back on concerns regarding healthcare affordability. Assam performed roughly 33 to 34 kidney transplants last year. These procedures cost between 2.5 lakh and 3 lakh rupees each. Public schemes like the Pradhan Mantri Arogya Nidhi and Mukhya Mantri Arogya Nidhi covered these bills. The state added 30 new dialysis centres in the last three months to boost specialized care access.
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