Dr John Berry White Heritage Museum to Open on July 1 in Dibrugarh

Dibrugarh: The long-awaited Dr John Berry White Heritage Museum, housed in a 126-year-old structure originally established in 1900, will finally open its doors to the public on July 1, coinciding with National Doctors’ Day. Officials announced the inauguration on Thursday, marking a tribute to Dr John Berry White’s pioneering contributions to medical education in upper Assam.

Dr White, a British surgeon who arrived in Assam in 1858 at the age of 24 to serve under the East India Company, dedicated 24 years of his career to improving medical services in the region. Alarmed by the state of healthcare in the province, he donated his life savings of Rs 50,000, equivalent to over Rs 1 crore today, to establish a medical school in Dibrugarh, as specified in his will. Though he passed away in London in 1896, his vision materialized with the opening of the Berry White Medical School in 1900, which eventually led to the establishment of Assam Medical College in 1947.

The museum’s restoration project, funded by Oil India Limited (OIL) and executed by the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH), began in January 2018 with an initial 15-month timeline. The Rs 2.1 crore initiative aimed to preserve the building’s colonial-era features while transforming it into a space for curated displays on medical history.

Despite the completion of conservation work years ago, administrative and technical delays, including joint inspections and submission of final documents, postponed the public opening. However, officials have now resolved these issues, paving the way for the inauguration. Dibrugarh MLA Prasanta Phukan shared plans to enhance the museum complex with solar lighting, landscaping, and other beautification measures to ensure visitors can enjoy both the exhibits and the surrounding environment.

Local stakeholders and historians have welcomed the announcement, emphasizing the museum’s significance as a cornerstone of allopathic medical education in the northeast. “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.

Dibrugarh Mayor Saikat Patra expressed satisfaction with the completion of restoration efforts and invited citizens and visitors to join the celebration on July 1. “This building is a piece of our history since it gave birth to medical education in the northeast,” he said.