Department of Psychiatry, Assam Medical College has a glorious history. Originally affiliated with the Department of Medicine as an allied science until 1974, the psychiatry department was founded by Dr. Indreswar Dutta, with Dr. Pranit Kumar Chaudhury becoming the first Registrar in 1976. During that period Department of Psychiatry had undergone a lot of development under the leadership of Dr. Indreswar Dutta. On 3rd November 1982 the Department of Psychiatry got its present premises. From 1986 to 89 Department of Psychiatry AMC was lead by another pioneer of Psychiatry Dr. Paramananda Goswami. He was a very noble person, dynamic leader and very good physician. Dr. Paramananda Goswami was succeeded by another renowned figure in psychiatry, Dr. Dipesh Bhagawati in the later part of the year 1989 and he remained as I/C the Head of the Department till 1991. From 1991 Dr. Pranit Kumar Choudhury, who was the first Registrar of the department took the charge as HOD, overseeing further advancements including the establishment of the Drug De-addiction Centre in 1995 through the help of Government of India under National Drug De-addiction Programme.

A lot of projects were undertaken under the department of Psychiatry. Many projects have been completed successfully and few are still going on. Here worth mentioning is OST Centre, a part of Assam State AIDS Control Society, which is under National AIDS Control Society (NACO) and Drug Treatment Clinic, which is a part of National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre (NDDTC), AIIMS Delhi. More than 500 IDU patients are enrolled in both the centres catering the whole Dibrugarh district.

Department of Psychiatry AMC has been proving outpatient as well as in-patient services. It also has child guidance clinic, De-addiction clinic and Geriatric cum memory clinic. Community services are being provided in the form of outreach clinic, awareness programmes etc. This Department was also the Nodal centre for the implementation of the District Mental Health Programme in Tinsukia. Since its inception, the Department of Psychiatry has conducted many state/national conferences, CMEs and Workshops.

The postgraduate program in the department commenced in 2004, initially offering both MD and DPM courses. From the academic year 2020–21, all DPM seats were transitioned to MD seats. Currently, the department offers nine (9) MD seats annually and has produced over eighty psychiatrists to date. Many of these alumni are making significant contributions to the field of psychiatry across Assam, throughout India, and internationally. The department is presently headed by Dr. Soumitra Ghosh, who serves as Professor and Head of the Department.

Faculty List

Sl. No.	Name	Designation	Qualification & Reg. No.	Email	Photo
1	Dr. Soumitra Ghosh	Professor & Head	MD, Reg. No.: 10196	drsghosh640@yahoo.co.in
2	Dr. Kavery Bora	Associate Professor	MD, Reg. No.: 16144ACMR	drkaverybora@gmail.com
3	Dr. Amal Chandra Baishya	Associate Professor	MD, Reg. No.: 16779ACMR	amaltezu@gmail.com
4	Dr. Rupa Gohain	Assistant Professor	MD, Reg. No.: 21464	rupagohain@gmail.com
5	Dr. Satya Kumar Dutta	Assistant Professor	MD, Reg. No.: 19665	satyakrdutta@gmail.com
6	Dr. Bandita Phukan	GDMO	DPM, Reg. No.: 18907	drbanditaphukan@gmail.com
7	Dr. Siddharth Sahu	Resident Physician	MD, Reg. No.: 22897	drsidsahu1990@gmail.com
8	Dr. Prayashi Kashyap	Senior Resident	MD, Reg. No.: 25434	prayashikashyap4@gmail.com
9	Mrs. Bhaswati Kalita	Psychiatric Social Worker	—	lonikalita9@gmail.com
10	Ms. Ishita Chatterjee	Lecturer in Clinical Psychology	Reg. No.: RCI A52493	ishitachatterjee5@gmail.com

3. courses run in the department

MD in Psychiatry

4. PG seats available and student details:

The department offers nine (9) MD seats

Student details:

5. OPD services: Available

OPD Services providing to patients:

• Outdoor Consultation

• Psychotherapy and Counselling

• Psychosocial workup

• 24 hours Suicide Helpline (আমি আছো)

• Occupational Therapy

6. Special Services:

• De-addiction clinic

• Geriatric & Memory clinic

• Child guidance clinic (CGC)

• Psychomotor Clinic

• Psychosexual Clinic

• Neuropsychiatry Clinic

• Tobacco Cessation Clinic

7. IPD : Available:

• Indoor Treatment Services

• Individual Psychotherapy

• Group therapy

• Electro Convulsive Therapy (ECT)

• EEG (electroencephalogram)

• Biofeedback

8. Operative facilities with equipment:

1. Electroconvulsive therapy
2. EEG (electroencephalogram)
3. Biofeedback

9. Departmental Initiatives – Department of Psychiatry, AMCH

The Department of Psychiatry, Assam Medical College & Hospital (AMCH), is actively involved in year-round awareness and educational initiatives aimed at enhancing public understanding of mental health. Key observances include World Schizophrenia Day, World Suicide Prevention Day, and World Down Syndrome Day, International Womens Day, each marked by campaigns designed to reduce stigma and foster awareness of mental health conditions.

In addition, the department observes Mental Health Week with a series of interactive sessions, educational seminars, and community outreach programs. These activities focus on promoting mental well-being and encouraging early help-seeking behavior, reflecting the department’s steadfast commitment to advocacy, education, and holistic care in mental health.

As part of its ongoing efforts, a Poster Presentation on the theme “Stress Management: Its Effects and Coping Mechanisms” was recently organized. The program was conducted by the Psychiatry Social Worker (PSW) and Social Investigator, in collaboration with interns from the Dibrugarh University, Department of Social Work. The session aimed to raise awareness about stress-related challenges and equip participants with effective coping strategies.

10. Details of any awards and achievement received by the students or the faculty in last 3 years.

List of awards:

11. Govt. schemes available in the department (if any):

• Ayushman Bharat PM Jan Arogya Yojana