According to the Bank’s website, the proposed project aims to strengthen Assam's medical education and tertiary care ecosystem using a project loan modality. The project will be aligned with the following impact: quality health care services provided to all citizens of Assam. The outcome will be access to resilient, quality, and affordable tertiary health care and medical education in Assam improved. The project will achieve the outcome through three outputs including (i) quality of tertiary care facilities and systems enhanced with focus on affordability, resilience, inclusion, and gender responsiveness; (ii) availability and quality of human resources for health (HRH) improved; and (iii) state systems for quality tertiary care and medical education strengthened.

Despite Vision 2030 and various central and state government initiatives, Assam faces challenges in achieving its objectives. ADB's sector assessment and consultations in the state show that (i) the state has poor quality tertiary care delivery, especially in Guwahati, which is a healthcare hub and would require investments in infrastructure, equipment and processes; (ii) there is a lack of quality doctors, specialists and pharmacists at the state level requiring increased supply and improved quality of education adopting digital tools and new approach of learning; and (iv) state systems for continued capacity building, ongoing healthcare needs assessment, research on emerging issues, establishing partnerships and new approaches of learning need institutionalization. Assam has requested ADB support to fill these investment gaps and strengthen medical education and tertiary care delivery in the state.

Environment (category B). No significant adverse environmental impacts are anticipated from the project. The project civil works sites are existing health facilities in urban areas and are not located in or near any legally protected or ecologically sensitive areas. The demolition and construction of buildings under the expansion and modernization of GMCH and SSUHS will pose adverse impacts that are site-specific and coterminous with the construction; few are permanent, and the residual impacts are minimal after mitigation. Three buildings that will receive medical equipment under the project are in the final stages of construction and are considered existing facilities. The supply of medical equipment to these facilities will pose minimal impacts.

Involuntary resettlement (category C). No land will be acquired under the project. Infrastructure will be developed within the boundary of the existing campus or on government owned land that is free from encumbrances. Alternative approach roads are available for construction, avoiding accessibility restrictions.

Indigenous Peoples (category C). The project will not directly or indirectly affect the dignity, human rights, livelihood systems, or culture of Indigenous Peoples or affect the territories or natural or cultural resources that Indigenous Peoples own, use, occupy, or claim as their ancestral domain. The project will not result in any impacts as the structures are already in place, and patients will access the health care facilities voluntarily.

A regular loan of $398.8 million from ADB’s ordinary capital resources to help finance the project. The loan will have a 26-year term, including a grace period of 5 years; an interest rate determined in accordance with ADB’s Flexible Loan Product; a commitment charge of 0.15% per year; and such other terms and conditions set forth in the draft loan and project agreements. Based on the straight-line method, the average maturity is 15.75 years, and the maturity premium payable to ADB is 0.10% per year.

Government Counterpart: $99.7 million

The project is estimated to cost $498.50 million.

Project Officer: Prasanta Bora
Designation: Assam Health Infra Dev't and Mngt Society
Email: sps.ahidms@gmail.com

Chief Engineer (Health & Education),
Public Works (Health & Education) Department
Maniram Dewan Road, Chandmari,
Guwahati, Assam – 781003
Telephone No.: +91- 7002201979
Email Address: splcepwdbldghe@gmail.com

ACCESS TO INFORMATION

You can submit an information request for project information at: https://www.adb.org/forms/request-information-form

ADB has a two-stage appeals process for requesters who believe that ADB has denied their request for information in violation of its Access to Information Policy. You can learn more about filing an appeal at: https://www.adb.org/site/disclosure/appeals

ACCOUNTABILITY MECHANISM OF ADB

The Accountability Mechanism is an independent complaint mechanism and fact-finding body for people who believe they are likely to be, or have been, adversely affected by an Asian Development Bank-financed project. If you submit a complaint to the Accountability Mechanism, they may investigate to assess whether the Asian Development Bank is following its own policies and procedures for preventing harm to people or the environment. You can learn more about the Accountability Mechanism and how to file a complaint at: http://www.adb.org/site/accountability-mechanism/main.