Medical students need good guidance, along with quality teaching and clinical exposure during their study of MBBS to make them good doctors, Dr. S.V. Kumar, who retired as Principal of Andhra Medical College on Wednesday.
“Students must be continuously engaged and exposed to the science of medicine, given thorough training in theory and practical since the future of medicare is in their hands. AMC has total complement of faculty and the students here are good”, Dr. Kumar said.
The surgeon who held the post for three years after being Vice-Principal for a year, said he could solve some of the long pending problems like facilities at hostels, rebuilding the college assets damaged by the Hudhud cyclone apart from providing new amenities and facilities and reviving some facilities after a gap of some years.
One major achievement is establishment of AMC getting the prestigious Labs for Life Project, sanctioned by Union Ministry of Health in collaboration with Centre for Disease Control (CDC) of USA, the Christian Medical Association of India and Bekton & Dickenson three years ago. The labs were started in 10 medical colleges across the country and AMC is the only college in AP to be selected. A Viral Research and Diagnostic Lab (VRDL) was sanctioned by ICMR and established in 2014.
The intake of 200 students into the first MBBS has continued for the last five years and the PG seats have been enhanced by 19 for a total of 179. The 24 M.Ch. and DM seats are being sustained.
AMCOSA, GVMC, Andhra Bank and several NRIs have contributed a lot for creating facilities in the college, Dr. Kumar said. The 1975 batch, to which he belongs, has provided a Rs. 10 lakh diesel generator set.
Regular academic activity is ensured in the college and HoD has to fix responsibility on the faculty if a class is not held. In spite of being busy with his duties as Principal, Dr. Kumar has performed some delicate and critical surgeries. He thanked his Vice-Principals N. Subba Rao and Venkateswara Reddy for extending support to him during his tenure.
