Centenary Academic Block, new girls hostel planned at Andhra Medical College

Visakhapatnam: A new centenary academic block and a new building for the old Andhra Medical College girls hostel are the two gifts that the Andhra Medical College (AMC) will give itself on completion of its 100 years in 2023.The academic block will come up on a 1.7 acre stretch of land on the college premises.

The Centenary Academic Block building would be a six or seven floor structure housing lecture halls, examination halls, library, auditorium and guest house ; all under one roof and in accordance with the stipulated MCI guideline.

The new Principal, Andhra Medical college, Dr PV Sudhakar while talking to the media said:"The block would cost approximately 40 crore. Andhra Medical College Alumni of North America (Amcana) would contribute around 7 crore, while the local alumni would contribute another 7 crore. If the government gives double the amount as grant, we can get the required funds for construction of the block. The health minister has verbally okayed the project. We will now have to enter into a written memorandum of understanding with the government to take the project forward."

To administer the project implementation, a 20 member committee headed by Vice Chancellor, NTR Health University, Dr. T Ravi Raju and consisting of the college alumni, renowned doctors, Amcana members and Director, Medical Education(DME) has also been constituted.

The girls hostel proposal has been dispatched to the government for speedy implementation of construction. "I have asked the AMPSIDC engineers to identify the land for the new hostel, which will have 400 rooms. At present, 350 girl students are lodged in 112 rooms, most of which are located in an old building. I have also invited each batch of old students to take up renovation of one department each to improve the overall infrastructure," Dr Sudhakar told TOI.

The principal elaborating on plans of overall betterment of the college, spoke of improvement in teaching, regulation of time for bedside teaching, both in the morning and the afternoon. More research activities are also to be encouraged, Dr. Sudhakar added.