AP jolted by retention of Dr NTR-UHS name, ignoring change to YSR by National Medical Commission

HYDERABAD: Andhra Pradesh Government was jolted when the National Medical Commission Medical Assessment & Rating Board (NMC-MARB) notified on April 21, 2023 according approval for the admission of 150 students in a new Government Medical College set up at Nandyal. The shock wasn’t for the sanctioning of the medical seats, but the NMC-MARB notified the college under Dr NTR University of Health Sciences.

In fact, the State Government through a piece a legislation in the Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly changed the name of Dr NTR University of Health Sciences to Dr YSR University of Health Sciences.

The NMC-MARB in its notification under the subject – “Establishment of New Medical College namely Government Medical College, Nandyal In the State of Andhra Pradesh under the Dr. NTR University of Health Sciences, Vijayawada U's 26(1)(a)(b) and 28(1)(2) and section 61(2) of the MC Act, 2019 for the academic year 2023-24 -Permission of Medical Assessment and Rating Board-Assessment Report - LOl. regarding.”..

The order stated: “The Medical Assessment and Rating Board (MARB) of NMC examined the Assessor's report dated 03.02.2023 and compliance physical verification Assessment Report dated 17th April, 2023 relating to availability of infrastructure facilities of the College, laboratories, library, Hospital facilities and availability of the faculty, their experience, publications and residents/tutors availability of nursing and paramedical staff hostels with other facilities available at Government Medical College, Nandyal under the Dr. NTR University of Health Sciences, Vijayawada for Starting of MBBS Course for the academic year 2023-24 and declared as under: “APPROVED FOR -150 MBBS SEATS”

In view of the above approval of 150 MBBS seats, the Commission has decided to obtain undertaking/essential documents for issue of Letter of Permission for starting/increase in seats for the academic year 2023-24;

The applicant should provide all infrastructural facilities in terms of teaching and non-teaching staff, building, equipment and hospital facilities as per National Medical Commission norms.”

While the sanctioning of 150 seats in a new medical college has delighted the State Government, the notification of the same under Dr NTR University of Health Sciences indeed caught the State administration unawares and also by surprise.

When contacted, Principal Secretary to Government of Andhra Pradesh for Medical and Health M T Krishna Babu told NewsTAP on Sunday said that the State Government had communicated the change of name of the university to the NMC. “We will follow it up,” he said.

Asked if it was a clerical goof-up or any procedural lapse, Mr Krishna Babu said: “NMC has to change (the name) in its records. They are reminded many times. We will send some senior officer personally.”

It may be recalled that the State Government on September 22, 2022 introduced and had a Bill passed in the Assembly changing the name of the University and christening it after former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh Dr Y S Rajasekhara Reddy from that of another former Chief Minister N T Rama Rao.

While this kicked up a political row as the University founded in 1986 was christened after the founder of the Telugu Desam Party the late N T Rama Rao after his demise.

Minister for Medical and health Vidadala Rajani introduced the amendment Bill and asserted that TDP Supreme N Chandrababu Naidu had no respect for NTR at all. She listed out the contributions of the late Dr Rajasekhara Reddy to the medical and health sector of the State.

The institution was the brainchild of NTR who had launched it through a piece of legislation – AP University of Health Sciences Act, 1986. This was the first health university in India. Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy had said that his late father revolutionised the public health sector and recalled the launch of Arogya Sri.

Jagan said that the State Government embarked on a mission mode to launch 17 new medical colleges, while three medical colleges were set up when YSR was the Chief Minister. Not even a single medical college was set up during the TDP rule, he had said at that time in the Assembly.

After the change of name was affected, TDP Rajya Sabha member Kanakamedala Ravindra Kumar appealed to the NMC to intervene in preventing the changing of name.

This notification by the NMC suggesting that the name had not been changed is likely to snowball into a major controversy once again.