Rayalaseema To Get Two More AYUSH Colleges

Kadapa: A Unani college in Proddatur and an Ayurveda institute in Dharmavaram are set to boost traditional medical treatments in the region. A Homoeopathy college is already functioning in Kadapa.

Traditional systems of medicine are set to receive a major push in the Rayalaseema region, with the state government planning to establish two new AYUSH medical colleges in Proddatur and Dharmavaram.

Officials said groundwork has been completed for opening a Unani medical college in Proddatur of YSR Kadapa district at an estimated cost of Rs 3 crore. Around 10 acres of land has already been identified and acquired for the project. “All preliminary arrangements are complete and we will soon lay the foundation stone,” a senior revenue official said.

In Dharmavaram of Sri Sathya Sai district, an Ayurveda medical college is being set up with an expenditure of ₹5 crore. Construction related activities have already begun. “We are ensuring the project progresses without delay,” an official associated with the project said.

Both institutions are being developed under the National AYUSH Mission in coordination with the state government. “With these two new traditional medicine colleges, Rayalaseema will now have dedicated institutions for Homoeopathy, Unani, and Ayurveda, which is a significant milestone,” a senior AP AYUSH department official said.

Each college is expected to have between 35 and 50 undergraduate seats. “We are hoping to meet the growing demand for AYUSH education,” the official stated.

The existing Homoeopathy Medical College in Kadapa has 35 BHMS seats and seven postgraduate seats. It sees a daily footfall of 300–500 patients outpatients. “The response from patients has been very encouraging. We expect similar demand for the new colleges,” said an associate professor from the Kadapa Homoeopathy College.

Authorities said the upcoming colleges will be equipped with modern laboratories and advanced medical equipment. “These institutions will strengthen both medical education and patient care services in the region,” the official maintained.

Currently the Rayalaseema districts of Anantapur, Kurnool, Chittoor, and Kadapa together have 84 Ayurveda, 56 Homoeopathy, and 48 Unani dispensaries. Each centre caters to around 20 to 30 outpatients daily.

“With the establishment of medical colleges, referral cases to these centres are likely to increase significantly, which will improve treatment outcomes,” the associate professor said.

An AYUSH expert said public awareness about traditional medicine is steadily increasing. These new colleges will further boost credibility and accessibility of these systems of medicine.