New ESIC medical college at Erragadda

Hyderabad:A new medical institution has taken shape in the name of ESIC Medical College at Erragadda. All ready to begin its first term of study this year 40 of the medical college's 100 seats are going to be reserved for the worker's children. Contact programmes with plus 2 students of both private and government schools are underway to attract admissions to the institution.

The institution, an inspirational outcome of the tireless efforts of the Union Minister of State for Labour, Bandaru Dattatreya, and a band of doctors led by the courageous Dean and in- charge of the college, Dr. M. Srinivas can today be seen standing on a 30 acre campus, all in the hope of becoming the most sought after institution of the state.

Surprisingly, this erstwhile institution had received a rejection slip from the MCI earlier this year. The rejection came in the face of faculty deficiency, inadequate nursing staff, low out patient attendance, zero bed occupancy, non-functional units of OT, ICU, labour room, blood bank, and pharmacy.

However the tireless zeal of the Union Labour Minister and his team within the next hundred days saw 90 medical specialists and other staff in place at the hosipital, Vital equipment worth 100 crore purchased well in time and last but not the least succeeded the team managed to convince the MCI about no earlier lacunae existing and getting its nod on the starting of the institution's first batch.

"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 the Dean Incharge of the college.

College administrators are of the opinion had the MCI not declined permission for starting of the first batch, things would not have reached the present status. A 1000 crore investment in line, in the last four years, and 64 lac patients in the waiting for treatment had not succeeded in bringing about the miracle, that looked in their face today.

Other contributions to this mammoth effort being Mr. Dattatreya, Secundrabad MP, seeking the help of a super speciality paediatrician and Dr. Srinivas, AIIMS, Delhi, convincing the state government to shift the existing ESIC hospital from the run down structure to Nacharam, where the new building stood awaiting occupation.

The many firsts for the college include: it being the first to have biometric attendance systems, 100 per cent hostel accommodation for 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," said his close aides.