A Healing Legacy, Still Standing Strong

Tura Christian Hospital is one of the oldest hospitals established by the American Baptist Missionaries in Northeast India. What began as a compassionate response to widespread suffering in the Garo Hills has grown into a trusted institution serving thousands of patients each year.

William Carey, in his Garo Jungle Book, described the Garos as "the victims of dirt, ignorance and superstitions." Malaria and Kala-azar — or "Black Fever" — were the commonest diseases among them, and leprosy was found in some places. Despite high casualty rates, there was little government aid for the people of the Garo Hills.

The early missionaries, with more compassion than formal medical knowledge, helped the Garos for nearly 25 years — carrying safe and useful medicines on every tour they undertook. Their selfless service laid the foundation for what Tura Christian Hospital is today.

Tura Christian Hospital began as a modest mission clinic in 1908, serving the people of Garo Hills and nearby villages. Sustained by community support and missionary partnerships, it has grown into a multi-disciplinary general hospital. Today, TCH provides 24×7 emergency services; internal medicine and nephrology; obstetrics and gynaecology; general surgery; paediatrics; dental care; and ultrasound imaging—while staying true to its founding ethos of compassionate, affordable care for all. Notably, TCH was the first centre in the region to perform paediatric exchange transfusion (early 2000s) and introduced dialysis services in 2016. It remains the only centre in West Garo Hills with an in house nephrologist, offering advanced dialytic modalities and renal care services both diagnostic and therapeutics.