Tirupati: A new medical college, Sri Balaji Medical College is soon going to come up in the city of Tirupati. Adding to the existing three medical colleges in Chittoor district, Hi-tech Medical College and Hospital, Bhubaneswar under the auspices of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam has been providing the required assistance for starting the super specialty hospital, Sri Balaji Medical College (SBMC) from next year.
AP Governor Biswabhusan Harichandan recently inaugurated the Super Specialty facilities and state-of-the-art medical equipment at Sri Balaji Medical College, Hospital and Research Institute in Tirupati, through video conference from Raj Bhavan here.
Speaking on the occasion, the Governor said that with the inauguration of Super Specialty facilities and latest medical equipment made available at the hospital, the people of Tirupati and Rayalaseema region will now have access to high-end medical care.
While complimenting Sri Tirupati Panigrahi, Chairman, Vigyanbharati Charitable Trust & Hi-tech Group, Sri Sai Prakash, Chairman, Sai Foundation and members of Sri Balaji Medical College, Hospital and Research Institute, he urged them to ensure that Super Specialty medical services are made available to the poorer sections of the society at affordable prices.
The Governor said the Vigyanbharati Charitable Trust has been working to improve the living conditions of the poor and needy people in Odisha for many years and they have now joined hands with the Kanchi Kama Koti Peetam and Sai Foundation and started Sri Balaji Education Medical College, Hospital & Research Institute in Tirupati with the vision of providing better health care facilities to the poor and the middle-class people, reports UNI
On the occasion of launching a new super specialty hospital, a three day free mega medical camp will be held there for the benefit of the people of the constituency.
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Currently, three medical colleges are situated in Chittoor district. Government's SV Medical college and Sri Padmavati medical college for women run by Sri Venkateswara Institute of Medical Sciences (SVIMS) are in Tirupati while PES Medical College is in Kuppam.
For the new medical college, approval from the government to set up the college in Madanapalle has come.
Earlier in 2005, the government acted upon the need of setiing up of a medical college attached to SVIMS with the financial aid of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthnams(TTD). The then CM Y S Reddy laid foundation for Padmavati Medical College and Hospital in 150 acre near the airport along with setting up some buildings there.
However, the medical college and hospital were set up in the vicinity of SVIMS later. About 60 acre out of the allotted land was subsequently obtained by Kanchi mutt which .began to be used for patient services with efforts to obtain Medical Council of India (MCI) nod for the set up of a new medical college.
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Later, private institutions took steps to gain approval from MCI but the government didn't allow for the same simultaneously cancelling the 60 acre to the mutt.
The entire project has been halted ever since though nominal OP services are still continued. Regardless, Kanchi Mutt continued legal battle and got back the allotted 60 acre.
As of now, it is learned that the mutt and Sai Foundation of Chennai have come forward together to run the college and hospital.
While speaking to The Hans India, the Hi-tech group chairman Dr Tirupati Panigrahi said that they are only extending their support as they were well experienced in the field.
He also added that advanced equipment is made available at the hospital to extend super specialty services which will be made available for the poorer sections.