Gaurav Gogoi Slams Govt Over Healthcare Neglect in Assam’s Tea Gardens

Raising serious concerns in Parliament, MP Gaurav Gogoi on Friday exposed the dire healthcare crisis among Assam’s tea garden workers, accusing the government of failing to provide adequate medical facilities to this vulnerable workforce.

During Question Hour, MP Gogoi questioned the effectiveness of government initiatives for tea garden healthcare, asserting that they exist only on paper. He highlighted rampant cases of anemia, dysentery, and tuberculosis (TB) among workers due to chronic neglect by both the Centre and the Assam government. He further pointed to the acute shortage of doctors, unsanitary conditions caused by overflowing drains, and the lack of clean drinking water, which have worsened the crisis.

Despite these concerns, the Minister failed to provide concrete answers, instead offering generic statements about existing schemes. When pressed for specifics, the Minister had no response, exposing a glaring lack of awareness about the ground reality. The Minister did, however, claim that hospitals were equipped with high-end medical devices. MP Gogoi immediately demanded a detailed list of such facilities, prompting the Minister to commit to sharing the information.

MP Gogoi also reminded the House that he had allocated 30 mobile medical units from his MPLAD funds to aid healthcare delivery in tea gardens. He urged the Centre to send a fact-finding team to assess the real situation and implement corrective measures. Acknowledging the concerns, the Minister admitted that the Assam government must take further steps to address the issue.

Reaffirming his stance, MP Gaurav Gogoi vowed to keep raising the matter in Parliament until concrete action is taken to improve healthcare for Assam’s tea garden workers.