Dibrugarh: The prestigious Dr John Berry White Medical Museum in Dibrugarh will be opened to the public on July 1, which is observed as National Doctors’ Day.
On Tuesday, Dibrugarh Deputy Commissioner Bikram Kairi chaired a meeting on the Dr John Berry White Medical Museum project.
The meeting was attended by Dibrugarh MLA Prasanta Phukan, Dibrugarh Municipal Corporation (DMC) Mayor Dr Saikat Patra, Assam Medical College and Hospital (AMCH) Superintendent Dr Dhrubajyoti Bhuyan, office-bearers of the Indian Medical Association (IMA), Dibrugarh chapter, and other concerned officials.
Dibrugarh MLA Prasanta Phukan said, “We have decided to open the Dr John Berry White Medical Museum. It is a prestigious project for us that has been lying neglected for years. We have now decided to hand over the project to the Dibrugarh Municipal Corporation. During the meeting, it was also decided to form a committee that will oversee the entire project.”
“For the beautification of the project, we have decided to install solar lights and take several other measures. Landscaping will also be carried out to enhance the aesthetics of the entire area,” Phukan added.
DMC Mayor Dr Saikat Patra said, “On Tuesday, Deputy Commissioner Bikram Kairi chaired a meeting on the Dr John Berry White Medical Museum project, and it was decided that the DMC will look after the cleanliness and maintenance of the site. It is a prestigious project for us, but it has remained neglected due to various reasons. A committee will soon be formed comprising IMA office-bearers, officials from AMCH and the district health department, and they will oversee the entire project.”
The Rs 2.1-crore initiative, funded by Oil India Limited (OIL) under its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) programme, was originally slated for completion by April 2019. However, due to prolonged neglect, the museum could not be opened as scheduled.
Although the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Oil India Limited (OIL) and the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) was signed on January 10, 2018, the project has missed multiple deadlines over the years.
The Dr John Berry White Medical School, located beside AT Road in Dibrugarh, holds immense historical significance.
Established in 1900, four years after the death of its founder, Dr John Berry White, the institution marked the beginning of medical education in Northeast India. Dr White, a British surgeon who served in Assam for 24 years under the East India Company, dedicated his life savings to establish the school.
His vision not only laid the foundation for medical education in the region but also paved the way for the establishment of Assam Medical College in 1947.
“The project has immense historical significance for the people of Dibrugarh because medical education in the entire Northeast began here. The project was launched in 2018, but due to negligence by the concerned departments, it took more than eight years to be completed. We are very happy that the project is finally going to be inaugurated,” said a senior citizen of Dibrugarh.
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