Assam signs agreement to set up third proton therapy machine at GMCH within three years

Assam signed an agreement on Saturday, 31 October 2026, to establish a proton therapy centre at the GMCH cancer institute in Guwahati. The agreement was signed in the presence of the Chief Minister and World Bank representatives. The machine is expected to be installed within three years.

Project details and proton therapy

The ₹600-crore project will receive ₹315 crore from the World Bank and ₹285 crore from the Assam government. The centre is planned with IBA Particle Therapy India Private Limited. It is described as India’s third proton therapy machine, after centres at Apollo Hospital in Chennai and Tata Memorial in Mumbai. It would also be the first such machine in a government hospital in Assam. The stated aim is to target difficult tumours while reducing radiation exposure to surrounding healthy tissue.

Important Facts for Exams

• DNA damage: Proton therapy uses an accelerator to target a tumour; proton-induced DNA damage stops affected cells reproducing.
• Bragg peak: Protons deposit their maximum dose over the final few millimetres of their range, a peak that can be spread across the tumour.
• Energy and depth: Adjusting proton energy targets different depths: shallower tissue receives less radiation, while tissue beyond the tumour gets very few protons.