Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Wednesday urged the new generation of doctors to work in rural areas so that better healthcare facilities can reach everyone.

Addressing a gathering at the second convocation of Srimanta Sankaradeva University of Health Sciences at Gauhati Medical College and Hospital auditorium here, Sonowal spoke about infrastructure development in remote places. He also urged the doctors to strive to make Assam a medical hub of Southeast Asia by taking “advantage of the Centre’s Act East Policy”.

Sonowal, the chief guest at the programme, presented degree and diploma certificates to the students and conferred lifetime achievement awards on 10 doctors.

By developing the public healthcare sector and setting up new medical colleges, the chief minister said the state government was working towards realising Modi’s vision of making a “healthy nation”.

Assam health and family welfare minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the total seat capacity in medical colleges across the state has been increased to 726 from 391 which would be further increased to 1,000. The state government has initiated steps to start courses on biomedical engineering, while the government’s Rs 3,000-crore loan from Japan International Cooperation Agency would positively impact medical education in Assam, he added.

The director of All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, Dr Randeep Guleria, said doctors have an important role to play in the nation-building process and they must render their services with a humane outlook while facing challenges in delivering holistic healthcare services.