Gandhi Medical College Global Alliance (GMCGA)
Gandhi Medical College
Global Alliance (GMCGA)
Together we
can make a
difference
Gandhi Medical College
Global Alumni Alliance (GMCGA)
The exact number of physicians who passed through with undergraduate and postgraduate degrees from the Gandhi Medical College in the past sixty-eight years is uncertain. Ten thousand undergraduates and approximately four thousand Postgraduates is a reasonable estimate. An estimated three thousand likely settled down abroad over the past six decades.
However, the number of overseas alumni who have since retired or are no longer with us is unclear. Based on communication with alumni and their friends, it is evident that a significant number continue to practice or hold academic positions in the U.S.A, England, and Australia. They continue to impact the communities and institutions they represent. When GMC alumni celebrated the silver jubilee of Gandhi Medical College in 1979, only a few alumni from abroad participated in the event.
When the Diamond Jubilee approached, overseas GMC alumni decided to join hands with those in India to commemorate the event. That led to the creation of GMCGA under the leadership of Dr.Laxmaiah Manchikanti, Dr. D.Kumar Ramisetti(first President), along with the unrelenting support of Dr. Ravinder Surakanti, Dr.D.Sudhakar Rao and late Dr.Koppolu Sarma. The primary goal at the outset was to raise funds to construct a building on the GMC-GH campus. The purpose was to enhance the educational activities and complement the formal curriculum provided by the college. Upon completion, it was named the Alumni Education Center (AEC).
The first task was to obtain a piece of land on the college campus for constructing the facility. To get the approval for the site, the following alumni played crucial roles – Dr. Ravinder Surakanti and Dr. Narsingam Gatla from the U.S.A and the late Dr. Yadaiah Goud in Hyderabad. Laying the foundation stone on 21st April 2004, the building was ready in record time and inaugurated on 5th January 2006.
Begun with an initial estimate of $250,000 total construction cost for the AEC eventually exceeded $750,000. It was not entirely a miscalculation on our part. The addition of a basement and escalation of the cost of materials were the main reasons. Dismantling the iconic staircase from the old Gandhi Hospital and installing it in the AEC also contributed to additional costs. Dr. K.Lingaiah oversaw the particularly herculean effort successfully.
We can state with pride that AEC fulfilled our vision. AEC stands as a symbol representing the dedicated efforts of the Alumni Association and with the support of only a few hundred initial alumni.
Several new members have joined the organization in subsequent years, but many more have yet to be part of this successful endeavor. We hope that more alumni come on board to strengthen GMCGA.