DA Editorial Desk | Dhruba Deka
On Wednesday, Chief Minister Manik Saha inaugurated a government Ayurvedic college and hospital at Chandrapur in Udaipur, Gomati district. Reports describe a two-storey building with 60 beds. Finance Minister Pranajit Singha Roy, the district’s elected representatives, senior health officials and the principal of the Tripura Ayurvedic Medical College attended. At the same event the Chief Minister handed over 40 e-garbage collection vehicles to the Matabari Block Development Officer, a small reminder that public health and public cleanliness go hand in hand.
New health institutions are always welcome news. Udaipur is a historic town with a long association with the state’s heritage, and a hospital there brings treatment closer to families who might otherwise travel to Agartala or beyond. In a state where distances, hilly terrain and the cost of travel can turn a medical visit into a major undertaking, every well-placed facility matters.
The Chief Minister described healthcare as a priority and said the government wants to preserve and promote the knowledge and heritage of Ayurveda. He said it has a place in both traditional and modern medicine, and that the new hospital will widen access to Ayurvedic treatment while opening career paths for students. He also said that allopathic, homoeopathic and Ayurvedic care should all be available to people, and that the new colleges are part of that effort. These are reasonable goals, and they reflect a long-standing public interest in the Indian system of medicine.
Ayurveda has been practised in India for many centuries, and many families turn to it for chronic complaints, lifestyle advice, diet and general wellbeing. A government college gives the discipline a place in formal teaching, with trained faculty, structured courses and a hospital in which students can learn by watching and doing. For a young person in Tripura who wishes to study Ayurveda, a college within the state is an opportunity, since it removes the need to move far from home.
The Chief Minister also made a broader claim worth noting. He said that referrals to hospitals outside Tripura have fallen significantly as local facilities have improved, that many complex diseases can now be treated within the state, and that more medical colleges and seats mean students have to leave less often. We have not seen figures to accompany this, and the public would benefit from them. Numbers on referrals, bed occupancy, specialist posts and student seats, published regularly, would let citizens see the progress for themselves and would give the government due credit where it is earned.
Opening a building is the first step. What makes a hospital useful is what happens inside it every day. Several questions decide whether the Udaipur facility serves people well. How many doctors, therapists and nurses will be posted there, and when? Will there be a dependable supply of medicines and the materials that Ayurvedic treatment requires? Are the diagnostic services and basic equipment in place? Can patients reach the hospital easily, including those who live far from the town? The answers matter more than the ceremony, and families will be watching how quickly the beds begin to fill with patients who receive good care.
The relationship between Ayurveda and modern medicine also deserves careful and honest handling. Many patients use both, and the best practice is for doctors of each system to be open about what their treatments can and cannot do, and to work together where a patient needs both. Ayurvedic care can offer comfort and support in many situations, while serious acute conditions such as heart attacks, severe infections and complicated pregnancies need prompt attention at a facility equipped for emergencies. The government has itself spoken of making all three systems available, and the success of that vision will depend on how well they connect.
Quality of education is the other pillar. A college is judged by the skills its graduates carry out into the world. That means qualified teachers, a good library, laboratories, a medicinal plant garden, enough clinical exposure and regular assessment. If the college can be proud of its graduates, the whole state will benefit. The Finance Minister rightly asked residents to protect and support the institution, and communities can help by looking after the premises and by speaking up when services fall short.
The Udaipur hospital is a welcome addition to Tripura’s health landscape, and the people of Gomati district have reason to be pleased. The measure of its success will be modest and practical: the number of patients who are treated well, the students who learn well, and the families who no longer have to make a long journey for care they can find closer to home. We wish the new institution a good start and look forward to hearing how it fares in the months ahead.