Kurnool Medical College hostel, a death trap?

​Kurnool: While the Kurnool Medical College is all set to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee function in the month of April, the students pursuing medicine in Post Graduate are stricken in a state of fear due to the dilapidated condition of their hostel rooms. Several students had a miraculous escape from receiving fatal injuries due to ceiling collapse at the hostel in which they were staying.

The incident which took place at Post Graduate Men’s Hostel constructed in the premises of Kurnool General Hospital has startled the students. All the students who are in the rooms at that time ran out at once fearing for their lives. The roof of the second floor has developed cracks and patches with iron bars are visible from the ceiling.

As per the sources, the men’s hostel that was constructed about 35 years ago was estimated to accommodate strength of 75 students with a room to each student according to the allocation of seats at that time. The men’s hostel is a two- storeyed building excluding the ground floor.

Out of 75 rooms, 10 rooms were totally deserted due to collapse and the remaining 65 are also lacking minimum facilities. Now the student’s strength has crossed the figure of 105 but there were no rooms constructed to accommodate them.

The 65 rooms are not well equipped and are frequently getting wet due to water leakage from the pipe lines. There is every chance of getting electrical shocks if the wire gets cut at any point.

It is said that, since its construction neither hospital management nor the principal of Medical College was said to have paid any heed in taking up the repairing works despite complaints lodged by the students. It is also known that some of the students are staying in rented house, after seeing the dilapidated condition of the hostel.

Further, some of the students, requesting anonymity, alleged that they have given a written complaint to the Health Minister Kamineni Srinivas stating the condition of the hostel and the state of their living, during his visit to Kurnool on two occasions. Besides bringing to the notice of the Health Minister, several complaints have been lodged with the principal of medical college, but none of them had taken care to take up the repairing or shifting to safer places.

Principal of Medical College Dr GS Ram Prasad speaking to this correspondent said, the hostel has been constructed to accommodate 120 students as per the allocation done about 30 years ago. To accommodate the increased strength, the government has sanctioned a new building for which Rs 27 crore has been sanctioned.

Even the tenders were also invited but the permission to come from the head of accounts department is awaited, he stated. He further said that necessary steps have been taken to accommodate the students at safer places.