The absence of a government medical college is being acutely felt in Vizianagaram district, where many COVID-19 patients are desperate for medical care.
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Successive governments have not taken any steps towards setting up a medical college in the district. COVID patients, who are now bearing the brunt of decades of government apathy, are forced to travel to Visakhapatnam for treatment.
The existing Government General Hospital is able to accommodate only 300 COVID-19 patients when over 10,000 persons who tested positive for COVID-19 are waiting for treatment in the district.
Senior BJP leader Pakalapati Sanyasi Raju said that the party has been demanding establishment of a medical college for the last two decades. “Improvement of medical infrastructure should be the top priority for the State government. A sum of ₹500 crore would be sufficient for its establishment. The Jagan Mohan Reddy government should speed up the process as the Centre has also relaxed norms for establishment of new medical colleges in backward regions,” he said.
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Lok Satta Party State executive president Bhisetti Babji said that the State government had assured to establish a medical college but failed to identify a suitable location for it in the last one year.
“At least 1,000 beds would have been available for COVID patients had the medical college been established in 2020 itself. Mere statements and sanction of funds on paper would not benefit the district in any way. The State government should show its commitment by taking steps on a war footing to construct the new college,” he said.
Former Parvatipuram MP D.V.G. Sankara Rao, a doctor by profession, said that improvement of medical infrastructure would ensure access to good medical care at par with what is offered by hospitals in Visakhapatnam.
“Apart from providing treatment to patients, senior doctors and professors can concentrate on research. They can exchange views and take up case studies in situations like COVID-19,” said Dr. Sankara Rao.
Currently, Vizianagaram has only one private medical college — Maharaja Institute of Medical Science — at Nellimarla. Minister for Municipal Administration Botcha Satyanarayana and other public representatives inspected various sites adjacent to the Government General Hospital, police grounds and Leprosy Hospital.
Site yet to be finalised
However, the site for the proposed government medical college has not been finalised yet due to various reasons.
The Officials are expected to focus on site the selection after the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic subsides in the district.