Dibrugarh, September 7, 2026: Assam has recorded a significant advancement in specialised healthcare with Assam Medical College and Hospital (AMCH), Dibrugarh successfully administering enzyme replacement therapy to a young child suffering from a rare lysosomal storage disorder.
The treatment, involving Velaglucerase alfa, was administered to a three-and-a-half-year-old child, making AMCH the first centre in Northeast India to provide this specialised enzyme replacement therapy for a patient with a lysosomal storage disease.
The development was highlighted by Assam Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma, who described the achievement as an important milestone for the state’s healthcare system. He said the availability of advanced treatment for rare diseases within Assam could provide greater hope to families who otherwise may have to seek specialised medical care outside the region.
The procedure was undertaken by the Department of Paediatrics at AMCH under the leadership of Professor and Head Dr. Arpita Gogoi, along with Dr. Dorothy Gargo and a multidisciplinary team of medical professionals. The treatment was carried out through the hospital’s Centre of Excellence for Rare Diseases, established under the Government of India’s National Policy for Rare Diseases, 2021.
Lysosomal storage disorders comprise a group of rare genetic and metabolic conditions that can require specialised diagnosis, continuous medical supervision and disease-specific therapies. The availability of enzyme replacement treatment at a major public medical institution in Assam represents an expansion of the region’s capacity to manage such complex conditions.
The achievement is particularly significant for patients from Assam and other northeastern states, as access to highly specialised rare-disease treatment has historically been concentrated in major medical centres outside the region. AMCH’s latest milestone could help strengthen local access to advanced care and reduce the need for some patients to travel long distances for specialised treatment.
Sarma congratulated the medical team at AMCH for the achievement and said the state government’s efforts to modernise healthcare and make advanced medical services more accessible to the public would continue.
The announcement came on a day when Vice-President C. P. Radhakrishnan was in Assam to attend the convocation of Srimanta Sankaradeva University of Health Sciences (SSUHS) in Guwahati. His visit included several academic and public engagements in the state.
The successful treatment at AMCH marks another step in the development of Assam’s specialised healthcare infrastructure and highlights the growing role of the state’s medical institutions in providing advanced treatment for rare diseases.
