This year if your ward got into medicine, it is better to take a good look at the newest medical college in city – ESIC Medical College campus at Erragadda. True, the college is only beginning this academic year but perhaps no other government college matches the physical infrastructure put in place even if there is more to be done on the equipment side and other related issues.
Yet, if the Union Minister of State for Labour, Bandaru Dattatreya, and the band of doctors led by the intrepid Dean and in- charge of the college, Dr. M. Srinivas, can keep up their relentless spirit and get the officialdom to move faster, the sprawling 30 acre campus could well become the most sought after institution for students with affordable fee.
Actually, the scene was not that bright earlier this year when the Medical Council of India (MCI) had rejected permission pointing out to faculty deficiency, inadequate nursing staff, low out patient attendance, zero bed occupancy, non-functional units of OT, ICU, labour room, blood bank, pharmacy and so on.
But, how within the next 100 days, the Union Minister and his team at a breakneck speed took up recruitment of 90 key medical specialists and other staff, purchased vital equipment worth Rs. 100 crore and convinced the MCI about the progress made is a remarkable story, before the permission came in last month.
“We take pride in the fact that we have no ghost faculty and we have been transparent in our dealings. The entire credit goes to the Union Minister as he relentlessly pursued the case. We are all set for starting classes and aim to be among the best in the country,” affirms Dr. Srinivas.
College administrators aver that if not for MCI’s ‘rap’, things would not have reached this far. In fact, the ESIC had pumped in Rs.1,000 crore for the entire project and it has been a non-starter for the last four years when an estimated 63 lakh insured persons are waiting to be treated.
Mr. Dattatreya, also Secunderabad MP, took up the initiative to utilise the services of a super specialist in paediatrics, Dr. Srinivas from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, convinced the State Government to shift the existing ESI hospital functioning from a run down building to Nacharam where a new building was awaiting occupation.
There are several firsts for the college - it will be among the first to have biometric attendance systems, 100 per cent hostel accommodation to doctors and others (700 rooms), two-bedroom staff quarters for staff (130), telemedicine to all health centres attached to the medical college, e-library facilities, conference, lecture halls with modern audio-visual facilities, etc. “For Mr. Dattatreya getting this hospital going is close to his heart. He gave MMTS during his first stint as Union Minister to the city, this will be the second legacy,” say his close aides.
Significantly, 40 per cent of 100 seats are to be reserved for children of workers and in order to make prospective students aware of the college, the college has been conducting contact programmes with plus two students from both government and private schools.
We are all set for starting classes, and aim to be among the best in the country
Dr. Srinivas,
Dean and in- charge,
ESIC Medical College, Erragadda.
