Andhra Medical College goes from strength to strength in its 100-year journey Premium

Andhra Medical College, established in 1923, celebrates its centenary with new facilities and a global alumni network.

Starting with just 32 students on July 19, 1923, Andhra Medical College (AMC) has come a long way in the last 100 years. Today, the college offers admission to 250 undergraduate students (MBBS) and 368 postgraduate students in various specialities. AMC completed its centenary on July 19 last year.

The alumni of Andhra Medical College are spread across the globe, and quite a few of them have occupied and continue to occupy top positions within the country and abroad. A number of them have settled in various cities of the United States, forming the AMC Association of North America (AMCANA).

“The Centenary Alumni Block (CAB), being constructed at a cost of ₹30 crore, is entirely funded by the alumni of AMC, and is expected to be completed in three to four months’ time. The CAB will have a 650-capacity auditorium, a ‘Hall of History’, ‘Legends of AMC’ and a library for students among other facilities.

“A new 200-room block is being constructed at the AMC Men’s Hostel for the benefit of male PG students. An amount of ₹150 crore has been sanctioned for the women’s hostel. The skill lab, which was constructed in the college at a cost of ₹2.50 crore, with Central government assistance, was inaugurated recently. All these have been taken up as part of the centenary celebrations during the last two years,” says G. Butchi Raju, principal of the college, and Additional Director of Medical Education.

Acting on the representations of the Telugu-speaking people, the then Madras Government established the Vizagapatam Medical College in 1923. The college was opened on July 1, 1923 in the building which was originally constructed for the Medical School.

The Anatomy Block stands in its place now. This Medical School was constructed by Gode Chitti Janakayyamma, wife of Gode Narayana Gajapathi Rao, a local zamindar. The foundation stone was laid by the Governor of Madras on February 20, 1905, and construction was completed in 1909-10.

The building had a short and ill-fated history, which has a story of its own. However this building had the distinction of having housed all the three Medical Institutions that were raised in Visakhapatnam — the Medical School, Civil Hospital (King George Hospital) and Medical College (Andhra Medical College). After its construction, it remained unused for some years.