It has been serving the public during natural calamities, epidemics and even during normal days for the past 75 years, but the Vijayawada branch of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) does not have place it can call its own.
Established on land that belongs to the Irrigation Department, the lease given to the association was scrapped 15 years ago.
Ever since the office bearers have been running from pillar to post to get some kind of a hold on the land it was currently occupying.
Former national body office-bearer G. Samaram said every year the IMA was served a notice to vacate the land. There is no Minister or officer to whom we have not spoken, Dr Samaram said.
Ownership
The question of land ownership was like a Damocles’sword to the IMA, he said. Another active member of the Association Kamineni Pattabhi Ramaiah said if the Association was given the land there was scope to develop the infrastructure.
“We want to have a full-time service centre and clinic and take up several health education programmes.
A lot of people were losing everything they have because they come to the doctors late,” Dr Pattabhi Ramaiah said.
