In which Indian state did the government announce that CT scans, X-rays and basic blood tests would be provided free of cost in all government hospitals, except those in medical colleges?

Introduction / Context:
Public health initiatives in India increasingly focus on reducing out of pocket expenditure for patients, especially for essential diagnostic services. Imaging and laboratory tests can be very expensive in private facilities, so some state governments have introduced schemes to provide CT scans, X rays and blood tests free of cost in government hospitals. This question tests knowledge of one such policy decision, where a particular state government announced free diagnostics in its government hospitals, except for separately administered medical colleges.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The scheme covers CT scans, X rays and basic blood tests.
• The benefit is available in all government hospitals in the state, except medical colleges.
• The states listed are Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Assam and Gujarat.
• We must identify which state launched this free diagnostic initiative.

Concept / Approach:
The approach is to remember which state announced a comprehensive free diagnostic programme in government hospitals with the described exception. Assam received attention for launching a scheme to provide free CT scans and other diagnostic tests in all government hospitals except medical college hospitals, as part of a wider effort to strengthen public health services. While Odisha, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat also have health programmes, the specific combination of CT scans, X rays, blood tests and the exclusion of medical colleges matches the policy decision in Assam.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: List the states in the options and recall their major health schemes. Step 2: Remember that Assam announced a free diagnostic scheme for public hospitals, including CT scans, X rays and blood tests, to reduce the financial burden on patients. Step 3: Note that this scheme specifically applied to government hospitals across the state but did not include the separate category of medical college hospitals. Step 4: Check whether similar widely reported schemes with the same details were launched in Odisha, Tamil Nadu or Gujarat. While they have various health insurance and free medicine schemes, the described pattern best fits Assam. Step 5: Therefore, identify Assam as the correct answer.

Verification / Alternative check:
An alternative check is to recall media coverage highlighting Assam's attempts to strengthen rural health infrastructure. Reports emphasised that patients in district and sub divisional hospitals could avail free CT scans and diagnostic tests, a notable step for a state with many remote areas. The specific mention that the policy did not include medical college hospitals is a detail often quoted in those news items, confirming that this description refers to Assam and not to the other states listed.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Odisha: While Odisha has its own public health schemes, the particular wording about CT scans, X rays and blood tests in all government hospitals except medical colleges does not match a widely known single initiative identical to this description.
Tamil Nadu: Tamil Nadu is known for strong public health services and schemes like free medical insurance, but the question describes a more specific diagnostic programme characteristic of Assam.
Gujarat: Gujarat has several health initiatives, yet this exact combination of diagnostics coverage and the exception clause is not most closely associated with it.

Common Pitfalls:
A common mistake is to associate the scheme with a state that is generally praised for good health infrastructure, such as Tamil Nadu, without paying attention to the precise pattern described. Another pitfall is to rely only on partial memory of headlines without noting that medical college hospitals were excluded from this particular scheme. Carefully matching all parts of the description avoids such confusion.

Final Answer:
The state government that announced free CT scans, X rays and basic blood tests in all government hospitals except medical colleges is Assam.