Assam Oil College of Nursing (AOCN) was established with the name of Assam Oil School of Nursing (AOSN), in Digboi on 4th June, 1986 with the sole objective of providing professional training to unemployed girls in the field of nursing which is in very high demand to the society. This institution is recognized by the Indian Nursing Council (INC) a statutory body under the Government of India, Ministry of Health and family Welfare constituted by the Central Government under section 3(1) of the Indian Nursing Council Act , 1947 of parliament in order to establish a uniform standard of training for Nurses, Midwives and Health Visitors. The school is also recognized by the Government of Assam and Assam Nursing Council.
The Assam Oil School of nursing (AOSN) was founded with great efforts of Indian Oil management and took encouraging steps to gradually escalate the facilities and ensure high quality in imparting this line of education and training. The establishment of the Assam Oil School of Nursing in Digboi came as a big boon to this remote region since it was the only institution of its kind in the 1980s, providing an indispensable service wing to successful catering of the health services.
The AOSN alumni who are mainly economically backward and underprivileged girls of the seven northeastern states have moved on to find jobs in reputed hospitals in various Government and non Government establishments not only within the state of Assam but in other metro cities of India and some have even found placements in foreign countries too. Equipped with advanced training equipments and infrastructure, the management of the AOD Hospital and the AOSN Staff take care to maintain the necessary standard of quality education performance. The faculty consists of nursing tutors, staff nurses and doctors. Very often some outside faculty support is also engaged depending upon the requirement.
Assam Oil College of Nursing is recognized by Indian Nursing Council, New Delhi and the State Nursing Council, Government of Assam. The institute is affiliated to Srimanta Sankardeva University of Health Sciences, Guwahati.
Meritorious students belonging to the economically weaker sections of society from the entire Northeastern region undergo a selection process to gain admission in AOCN. The college is fully financed by Indian Oil Corporation Limited, under corporate social responsibility (CSR). No Admission, Tuition or Training fees are levied, instead all students studying at AOCN are paid a monthly stipend for the entire duration of the course.
The students of AOCN are posted in 200 beds parent Hospital of Indian Oil(Assam Oil Division), Digboi for practical field experience. The institute has also obtained permission to impart practical training at Assam Medical College Hospital, Dibrugarh and District Hospital Tinsukia, Margherita FRU and Digboi CHC. Students are also allowed and encouraged to participate in various other activities and awareness programmes related to the development of the society like Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, AIDS awareness, Environmental Day, World health day, Mental Health day, Women’s day, Science day, world cancer day, world No- Tobacco day, Pulse polio immunization, National vigilance week etc. The students of AOCN are involved in Community health camps organized periodically by IOCL (AOD) hospital. Students are also engaged in active participation for organizing workshop, Regional conference, and National conference and also given opportunity to attend state conferences, National conferences and International Conferences as well.
SPREADING WINGS : Incorporating the same objective and with the view to further the national agenda for Women Education and Empowerment & Employment, IndianOil(Assam Oil Division) upgraded the Nursing institution to award B. Sc. (N) Degree: Empowering women in Nursing care under the banner of Assam Oil College of Nursing (AOCN) in 2014. This course offered more opportunities for young girls in the region. More than 80% of the first batch of B.Sc. Nursing Students and 2nd batch of B.Sc. Nursing students of AOCN are presently working in different health sectors under Assam Government i.e. NHM, District Hospitals, Medical colleges: AMCH, GMCH, JMCH, TMCH, LMCH, as a CHO and staff nurse. Some are also working in private hospitals and some are undergoing higher studies. The 3rd batch B.Sc. Nursing students are presently undergoing work internship at IOCL(AOD) hospital.
Genesis and development:
Assam Oil School/College of Nursing is attached to IOCL(AOD) Hospital, for imparting training to local underprivileged girls, as a CSR project, thus providing them with a means to earn their living.
IOCL(AOD) Hospital
The remarkable discovery of oil in the remote corner of India was an accidental yet amazing discovery. The environment encountered by the intrepid early oilmen was far from friendly though. The present day Digboi was a wild patch of malaria-infested jungle, brimming with reptiles, wild-life, unfamiliar weather clime. In this backdrop, a basic medical support unit was most crucial, if India’s oil industry had to flourish. Established in the year 1906 by the erstwhile Assam Oil Company Limited as a basic facility with a few beds, the IOCL (AOD) hospital at Digboi has, over the years, grown into a sophisticated multi-specialty hospital catering to the medical needs of not only the IndianOil people and their families but also the surrounding public.
The hospital shifted to its current location in the year 1939 but up to the 1950s, it continued to be an establishment with a skeleton staff where each doctor multitasked by handling cases relating to medicine, surgery, obstetrics and gynaecology irrespective of their area of specialization. In the initial years, most of the activities of the medical department were concentrated towards fighting Malaria which was, in those days, the number one killer. From administering a spoonful of bitter quinine to all the employees lined up on a weekly basis, the anti-malarial efforts expanded to the establishment of an anti-malarial section headed by a specialist who was specially recruited for the purpose. Due to the efforts of the hospital, this endemic disease has been largely controlled in and around Digboi.
Along with the introduction of preventive and public health services, efforts were made for the improvement in services in other areas also. The induction of the first microscope in 1923 was followed by the development of a full-fledged pathological laboratory. Notably, some of the very illustrious medical practitioners and para-medical staff from across the world came to Digboi in the early 1900s to serve. The hospital boasts of the first ECG machine in North East India put to service in 1955. The first Intensive Care Unit with facilities of cardiac monitoring, defibrillation, external cardiac pacing and Bird respirator was installed in 1971. However, the real development has taken place in the last two decades after Assam Oil Division became a part of Indian Oil Corporation Limited and the hospital has now become a 200 bedded modern, well-equipped, multi-specialty hospital providing succor to the employees of the Assam Oil Division of IndianOil and their families as also to the population of the surrounding area. The hospital cares for continuous improvement in providing services by improving diagnostic facilities, operation theatre, dental care etc.
The diagnostic facilities have been upgraded by replacing old equipments like new digital X-ray machine, Ultrasonography, Mammography with modern technology, Fibre Optic Gastroscope, Slit Lamp, Multi-parameter Monitor and 16 Slice Computerised Axial Tomography Unit (CT Scan Machine). For improvised diagnostic competence, Telemedicine is also available in the hospital. The Operation Theatre has been upgraded with a new Operation Theatre Table and Anaesthetic Apparatus & Laparoscopy equipments. Dental Treatment: has been improved by installing one sophisticated dental chair Pathology lab upgradation since 2015 with HPLC analyzer, Cell counter, Hormone analyzer. Procurement of Biochemistry analyser is in process. Blood Bank is fully functioning since 2016. The Occupational Health Centre refurbished with new instruments like Noise Dosimeter, Titmus Vision Tester, Clinical Audiometer, regularly monitors employee health and working conditions.
