HT Correspondent
DIBRUGARH, Nov 3: The Assam Medical College and Hospital (AMCH) celebrated its 79th foundation day on Monday with a series of events honouring its distinction as North East India’s first medical college.
The day began with AMCH Principal and Chief Superintendent Prof Sanjeeb Kakati hoisting the institutional flag at the AMC OPD complex.
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This was followed by a meaningful ceremony dedicating lecture halls to legendary teachers who have shaped the college’s academic excellence over decades.
An open session at the Dr John Berry White auditorium brought together faculty members, students, staff and nurses for the main commemoration. Prof Kakati presented the college’s annual report and presided over the felicitation of distinguished alumni and the award ceremony for MBBS toppers.
“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.
Brahmaputra Cracker and Polymer Limited (BCPL) CMD Pranjal Changmai and Dibrugarh Mayor Dr Saikat Patra, an AMCH alumnus, attended as guests of honour. Pranjal Changmai reflected on the college’s impact, saying, “AMCH has not only produced competent doctors but has been instrumental in improving healthcare access across the entire northeastern region for nearly eight decades.”
The celebrations concluded with campus illumination in the evening, followed by a cultural program that united the AMCH community.
The college’s remarkable history dates back to 1900 with the Berry White Medical School, named after Dr John Berry White, a British surgeon who arrived in Assam in 1858 under the East India Company. After serving upper Assam for 24 years and retiring as civil surgeon from undivided Lakhimpur district in 1882, Dr White made an extraordinary philanthropic contribution—donating his entire life savings of fifty thousand rupees, considered a princely sum at that time, to establish a medical school.
The Berry White Medical School, established in 1900, marked the beginning of allopathic medical education in Assam. Through a process of upgradation, it evolved into the Assam Medical College in 1947, earning the distinction of being the first medical college in the entire northeastern region. Nearly eight decades later, AMCH continues its pioneering role in medical education and healthcare delivery, training thousands of doctors who serve communities across North East India and beyond, carrying forward Dr White’s legacy of service and Dr Berry White’s vision of accessible medical education in the region.
