In the year 1912, the erstwhile British Government brought the health service in the state of Assam to an organized state for its proper functioning with a view to extend health service to the people.
The British Government at the beginning established the health services department on two wings (1) Curative Side (2) Preventive side. As the department was placed under head of the department, the curative side of the health services was placed under a head of Department, the nomenclature of the post was INSPECTOR GENERAL of civil hospitals and prisons [This nomenclature of the post is still visible in the Fundamental Rule]. Since inception of the post of Inspector General of Civil Hospital, the prison administration was under the control of the IGCH.
The preventive side of the Health Service was put under another Head of the Department and the nomenclature of the post was Director of Public health.
The two heads of departments as stated above continued to function till 1958.
The activities of the two heads of department have been enumerated below. The Inspector of General civil Hospital and Prisons was responsible for running of Hospitals at District and sub-divisional Headquarters of the state. The hospitals covers both outdoor and indoor services. Some dispensaries for extending outdoor treatment facilities also established under the Inspector General Civil Hospitals and prisons.
As for the curative side under the Director of Public Health, only preventive measures were undertaken on occurrences of epidemic, cholera, kalazar, small-pox, TB Leprosy etc.