Assam signed a contract with Belgium‑based Ion Beam Applications (IBA) to install a ₹600‑crore Proton Beam Therapy centre at Gauhati Medical College and Hospital in Guwahati on October 31, 2026.
The state cabinet had earlier green‑lit a Rs 600 crore investment, and Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma confirmed the machine’s cost and a three‑year installation window during the signing ceremony at Lok Sewa Bhawan.
Proton therapy, a high‑precision radiation modality that spares healthy tissue, has been limited to private hospitals across India, with price tags topping ₹50 lakh. By bringing the technology into the public health sector, Assam aims to slash treatment costs and broaden access for residents of the Northeast.
The new centre will serve a region already hosting 17 cancer hospitals, 12 of which are operational, and will reduce the need for patients to travel to metros like Delhi, Mumbai or Kolkata for advanced care.
Health‑tourism experts note that the facility could attract patients from Bhutan, Bangladesh and North Bengal, bolstering Assam’s emerging reputation as a medical‑tourism hub.
Construction will begin next month, with the first patient expected to receive therapy by the end of 2029, after a rigorous commissioning and certification process.