Healthcare Crisis Deepens in Lumding, Patients Forced into Costly Referrals

Lumding, a key railway town in Assam, is facing a severe healthcare crisis as its two main facilities – Lumding Divisional Railway Hospital and Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Sub-District Civil Hospital – struggle with a lack of infrastructure, specialists, and critical care units.

Both hospitals have effectively become referral centres, sending patients to Hojai, Diphu, and Guwahati even for serious emergencies. Delays in treatment have led to multiple preventable deaths, especially among accident victims, cardiac patients, and newborns.

Emergency services remain inadequate, with no ICU, ventilators, or specialists available. Doctors admit they are forced to refer patients due to limited resources, despite the risks involved.

The crisis has also created a heavy financial burden on families, who must arrange costly transport and treatment in Guwahati, often leading to debt and economic hardship.

With no major upgrades in infrastructure or services, Lumding’s healthcare system continues to pose a serious risk to both lives and livelihoods.