Students thank Jagan, vow to serve the poor

Visakhapatnam: Medicine students from across the state thanked Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy following the inauguration of five new medical colleges on Friday and assured him that they would heed his call and serve the poor.

First-year student from Vizianagaram government medical college, Prasuna, told the Chief Minister that she was happy that the new college has world-class facilities on par with private medical colleges, with experienced teaching faculty, and said the students would gain the best from the training.

“I hail from a humble background and would be the first doctor in my family. I would not forget this day,” she said.

Gaganasri from the Rajamahendravaram medical college said she belonged to the scheduled tribe and her father worked on daily wage. She studied in a social welfare school and many had discouraged her from pursuing a medical course by saying it was not within her reach.

“I never imagined so many changes will take place in the medical education in my state that will help me get a seat,’’ she told the Chief Minister.

“Sir, I would be the first doctor in my village,” Gagansri said, adding that she was taking an oath on this day to serve the poor as advised by the Chief Minister in his inaugural speech. She said her mother, a cancer patient, was being treated under Aarogyasri and she did not have to spend even a rupee.

Koteswari, from Eluru medical college, said her father was on daily wage and mother a tailor. Though she wanted to join medicine, her family’s financial situation discouraged her. Fortunately she got a seat, she said, and thanked the Chief Minister.

Jaladurgam Tribhuvani from Nandyal medical college said she dropped out of veterinary science after she qualified NEET. “I would have got a seat in a private medical college but due to our Chief Minister’s initiative, I got admission in a government college,” she said.

Sachin Dandia from Rajasthan, studying in the Machilipatnam medical college, said he was fortunate to get a seat in the AP medical college. “I was impressed indeed by the world-class infrastructure at the college.”

PG student Alekhya said 80 PG seats were added to the state quota during the last four years. This helped many students from humble backgrounds to pursue medicine as a career. With new equipment added to Guntur Medical College, many lives could be saved during the Covid pandemic,” she noted.

PG students Aiswarya from Tirupati medical college and Ananth from Vizianagaram medical college thanked the Chief Minister for adding more PG seats and improving the infrastructure at international standards.