Poor Infra at New Medical Colleges in Karimnagar, Warangal

Karimnagar: A number of government medical colleges established under the previous BRS government’s “medical college in every district” initiative now appear at risk due to insufficient facilities in Warangal and Mahabubabad districts. At Narsampet Medical College, students face numerous hardships owing to the absence of a permanent building, core infrastructure, laboratories, and other essential equipment. A severe staff shortage is undermining both the college’s operations and the quality of MBBS education.

Currently, the college operates out of one of the three blocks originally intended for the district hospital. Sixty-three posts across 23 departments were sanctioned on an outsourcing basis. An initial recruitment agency was dismissed in November amid allegations of local political interference. A second agency then compiled a merit-based roster and submitted it to the Warangal collector, but six months later, no final selections have been made.

In Mahbubabad, 450 students at the newly opened government medical college contend with a similar dearth of qualified teaching staff and the absence of permanent classrooms and hostels. Principal L. Venkat told Deccan Chronicle that the college is housed in a building meant for a nursing school. Four private buildings, two for male students and two for female students, have been rented in Mahbubabad town to serve as hostels, each located 5 km from campus. Yet these facilities, too, lack basic amenities.

Although the government has allocated funds for constructing dedicated college and hostel buildings, progress has been painfully slow due to contractor negligence. Students must rely on autorickshaws to travel the long distance between hostels and campus, as no proper transport is provided.

Students at both Narsampet and Mahbubabad allege that local representatives have ignored the new colleges and their problems, showing no interest in maintaining or completing the permanent facilities. They warn that, without adequate infrastructure and staff, it is increasingly difficult to focus on their studies.

G. Phaneendra Reddy, managing director of the Telangana Medical Services and Infrastructure Development Corporation (TGMSIDC), who recently inspected Warangal’s medical colleges, assured that with MBBS admissions beginning this year, the department is committed to completing the infrastructure, including academic blocks, hostels, laboratories, and equipment, as soon as possible.

Meanwhile, the government medical college in Karimnagar, opened in September 2023, faces similar challenges. Its 200 students are accommodated at the Seed Godown in Kothapalli on the city’s outskirts, where permanent college and hostel facilities are still under construction. Vice-principal Dr Shanthan told Deccan Chronicle that Rs 138 crore has been allocated for these buildings on a 25-acre site in Kothapalli, with an expected completion within a year, but work is proceeding at a snail’s pace. Students currently live in three rented private buildings, one for women and two for men, and must rely on a single bus to travel to Karimnagar General Hospital for classes.