Gandhi Medical College Global Alliance (GMCGA)
Do you remember the era before the cell phone became our constant companion? It was not that long ago that phone call’s – “trunk calls” were our means to communicate with our family.
Our college was established on September 14, 1954, in the erstwhile State of Hyderabad. It began as a private institute under the management of the Anwar Ul-Uloom Educational Society of the Indian Medical Association. It was the first Medical College after Hyderabad joined the Indian Union. Dr. Syed Nizamuddin Ahmed was the founder and Principal of the college located in Humayun Nagar at a private residence owned by Mr. Qader Jung, the Home Secretary of Nizam’s Government.
In the early days, the college suffered due to financial difficulties. Chief Minister Dr. Burgula Ramakrishna Rao intervened and took it over to run it as a government college renaming it Gandhi Medical College(GMC). Dr. Rajendra Prasad, President of India, inaugurated the new college on June 25, 1955. After the formation of Andhra Pradesh, GMC moved to a new building in Basheerbagh. In 1958 Chief Minister Dr.Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy inaugurated the college. Thus our alma mater has the unique distinction of being inaugurated by two Presidents of India.
Over time, the new premises proved inadequate to meet the needs of the college. Lady Hydari Club was right next door with vast unused space. Incorporating the club facilities into the college campus seemed the logical solution for the faculty and students. The government did not share the view. The history of the college will be incomplete without mentioning the efforts of several student unions in this matter.
One day in the early years of the 1970s, students breached the wall separating the college from the club. The symbolic effort, however, had no impact. After struggling for a decade, the students union headed by President Dr. Ramesh Reddy* entered the club premises and moved some cadavers to create an ad hoc Anatomy Department. Some students were arrested and placed in custody, prompting Dr. Ramesh Reddy to go on hunger strike. That forced the hands of Chief Minister N.T.Rama Rao. In 1986 the Lady Hydari Club was handed over to GMC.
* Dr. Ramesh Reddy served as the DME for a few years and was appointed as the Principal of GMC in December of 2021.
The central jail, located in Musheerabad, occupied about 34 acres, part of which was vacant land where the prisoners grew vegetables. Bureaucratic and political controversies and intrigue delayed the eventual relocation of the jail to Cherlapally, making room to construct the college and hospital on the same campus. The first foundation stone for the construction of the GMC-GH campus was laid by the Chief Minister, Dr. N.T.Rama Rao, on January 5th, 1987.
However, Telugu Desam Party(TDP) lost the election in 1989, and the Congress Government under Dr. M.Chenna Reddy did not take steps to complete the project. After TDP returned to power, the Chief Minister, Shri. Chandrababu Naidu laid the foundation stone for the second time. It took over two years to complete the construction, and the college relocated to Musheerabad on 21-11-2003 and the hospital n 2004.