Dibrugarh: After years of delays and procedural wrangling, the long-restored Dr John Berry White Heritage Museum will be inaugurated in Dibrugarh on July 1, officials announced on Thursday. The opening will coincide with National Doctors’ Day, marking a symbolic tribute to the pioneering medical work of Dr John Berry White in upper Assam.
Official Announcement
“The museum will be formally opened on July 1 to honour Dr White’s contribution to medical education in the region. It has been a long wait for the people of Dibrugarh, but we are pleased that the restoration and due formalities have been completed,” Dibrugarh mayor Saikat Patra said.
Dr John Berry White’s Legacy
Dr John Berry White was a British surgeon who came to Assam in 1858 at the age of 24 to serve under the East India Company. He worked in upper Assam for 24 years, rising to the post of civil surgeon of then Lakhimpur district. Alarmed by the poor state of medical services in the province, Dr White devoted his life savings -- 50,000 rupees at the time, a sum worth more than Rs 1 crore today -- to establish a medical school. He specified in his will that the institution should be located in Dibrugarh. Though he died in London on Nov 19, 1896, the Berry White Medical School opened in 1900 and later paved the way for the establishment of Assam Medical College in 1947. Local historians say the school was a foundational step for allopathic medical education in the northeast.
Restoration Project
The Rs 2.1 crore restoration project, funded by Oil India Limited (OIL) and executed by the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), began in Jan 2018 with an initial 15-month completion target. Although conservation work was largely completed years ago, the museum’s public opening was stalled by administrative and technical bottlenecks, including delays in joint inspections and submission of final technical documents.
Beautification Plans
Dibrugarh MLA Prasanta Phukan said the administration will now focus on beautifying the museum complex ahead of the inauguration. “For the beautification of the project, we will install solar lights and take a whole slew of measures to enhance the site. Landscaping will be done in and around the area so visitors can enjoy the surroundings as much as the exhibits,” Phukan added.
Officials said the district administration and relevant departments completed the remaining formalities after ironing out discrepancies flagged during earlier inspections.
Community Response
Local stakeholders welcomed the announcement. “This building is a piece of our history since it gave birth to medical education in the northeast and eventually paved the way for Assam Medical College. Opening it on National Doctors’ Day is a befitting tribute to Dr John Berry White and to generations of doctors who served the region,” said Dr H Baruah, a retired physician.
The 126-year-old structure, originally established in 1900 through Dr White’s philanthropy, was conserved to retain its colonial-era features while making the space suitable for curated displays on medical history. “We invite citizens and visitors to join us on July 1 to celebrate both history and the service of doctors across the nation,” mayor Patra said.
