Four new medical colleges are going to come up at different locations in Andhra Pradesh's Godavari region. Dr M Raghavendra Rao, Director of Medical Education, said, "(The) New medical colleges will be a game changer in the rural health sector in Godavari district." He also informed that admissions to these colleges commence soon.
Rajamahendravaram (East Godavari), Eluru, Amalapuram (Konaseema) and Palakol (West Godavari) are the regions in which the new colleges are being built. The construction work at Rajamahendravaram and Eluru is going on at a brisk pace, as per a report by The New Indian Express.
At Eluru
The government has allocated Rs 525 crore for the Eluru college. In the first phase, with an amount of Rs 38 crore, the building is being readied in a one lakh square feet space. According to a detailed project report, the college is proposed to be built over a space of more than 13.21 lakh square feet.
However, a G+4 building is ready for the college to start classes, said the college principal Bhimeswar. He added that eight labs, four lecture theatres, a multipurpose hall, a skill lab and a medical lab have been constructed. A National Medical Commission (NMC) team has visited the college and given a nod for the MBBS course to start from the next academic year (2023-24).
At Rajamahendravaram
Meanwhile, the medical college in Rajamahendravaram is coming up at a hospital site earmarked by the government. Recently, Health Minister V Rajani visited the site and expressed her joy over the progress in the construction work. The state has sanctioned Rs 475 crore for this college and admissions here are also going to start from the next academic year.
Director of Medical Education speaks
Dr Rao said that the admissions for the Amalapuram and Palakol regions are likely to commence from the 2024-25 academic year, after NMC's approval. "The Godavari districts are financially prosperous districts. Unfortunately, there had been only one government medical college in the state, in Kakinada. There was tough competition for admission into MBBS courses. With the coming up two medical colleges in the next academic year and the remaining two in 2024, the entire medical education scenario will be changed drastically," he added.
The new medical colleges are strategically located to cater to people in need of medical care, particularly those in rural pockets. "Coming years are vibrant — a golden era to medical education. The need for specialised care makes patients travel from their home district to other districts. This can be avoided with the start of medical colleges," Rao stated, as per TNIE.
More medical colleges on the way
The state government has also accorded administrative sanction for the establishment of 17 new medical colleges at Parvatipuram, Paderu, Viziyanagaram, Anakapalli, Rajamahendravaram, Amalapuram, Palakol, Eluru, Machilipatnam, Markapuram, Bapatla, Madanapalli, Penukonda, Adoni, Nandyal, Piduguralla and Pulivendula. Rao said that an amount of Rs 8,600 crore has been allocated for these colleges.
Infrastructure creation in these colleges would be completed in adherence to norms laid down by the NMC, he added. The state government recently approved 3,530 posts for five new medical colleges (in Nandyal, Machilipatnam, Eluru, Rajamahendravaram, and Vizianagaram), which are set to begin classes from the next academic year.
As per the NMC norms, 222 posts to each medical college and 484 posts to the affiliated teaching hospital are to be allotted. The state government has appointed staff for the Rajamahendravaram and a number of medical shops and hotels are coming up in the college surroundings. It will boost the economy, said local MP Bharatram.
It may be mentioned that there are three existing private medical colleges at Rajamahendravaram, Amalauram and Eluru. The state government has been spending Rs 16 thousand crore on scaling up infrastructure in the primary health centres, area hospitals and GGH (Government General Hospital) in district headquarters, as per TNIE.
