Medical Institute Jorhat

Medical Institute, Jorhat (MIJ) is a medical institute located in Jorhat, Assam in India.

The institute trains Rural Health Practitioners (RHP), who serve as a medical professional in the rural areas at sub-center & at the PHC level. RHPs are trained practitioners of allopathic system of medicine.

The courses in which the institute provides training is Diploma in Medicine and Rural Health Care (DMRHC). DMRHC is a $3 1/2$-year medical course, now known as B.Sc.Community Health and the passed out students are designated as Community Health Officer (CHO) and the CHOs are now practicing at sub-centers and PHCs in the various districts of Assam under National Health Mission (NHM) on a contractual basis. Now this course is transferred to a new course known as B.Sc. Family and Community Health and has been withdrawn from the institute.

History
Prior to opening of MIJ, only three medical colleges existed: Assam Medical College (established 3 November 1947), Gauhati Medical College (established 20 September 1960), and Silchar Medical College (established 15 August 1968). The government realized there was a shortage of doctors and it needed to be addressed. In 2005, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi and Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma, the Minister of Health & Family Welfare, decided to build three new medical colleges in Jorhat, Tezpur, and Barpeta.

Construction in Jorhat began on 1 June 2008. On 25 August 2008, the Prime Minister of India, Manmohan Singh laid the foundation stone of the institute. On 12 October 2009, Tarun Gogoi inaugurated the hospital wing.