A Plous Project: Rajendra Medical College and Hospital
(DR AJAY KUMAR SINGH )
RMCH is located in bariatu , about six Km from Ranchi GPO. This is a medical college and a Hospital . All Kinds of treatment is done here.
This MEDICAL story started in 1950 when the Central Government with the consent of Bihar Government was planning to give best possible health care services to a medical college hospital with inter- national standards to fulfill the dream of the creative caretakers of this hilly terrain of the state, which is full of natural resources.
You Will not believe how much serious was the State and Central Government at that stage regarding this medical temple at Ranchi, that even external affairs department of Government of India instructed its embassy in UK and other countries to ask the trainee Bihar doctors preferably doing FRCS and MRCP in UK to give their consent for joining this up coming medical college in Ranchi and the result was all the clinical department heads barring few exceptions were MRCP (in medical side) FRCS in surgical side and FRCOG in Gynae. The Fellows of Royal College also headed the other departments. It was result of a deceive desire of a Government which really meant business. The outcome was RMCH a result of cordial, cooperative supportive and caring State Government and Central Government relation, which is a rarity in present era.
The state of Bihar was then having only two medical colleges, one in central Bihar, the Prince of Wales Medical College, Patna (now Patna Medical College and Hospital) other Darbhanga Medical College and Hospital, Lahariasarai, which is only few years elder than RMCH, Ranchi.
For RMCH, 200 acres of land was acquired and this pious temple dedicated to the services of ailing humanity of south Bihar started taking shape in September 1959. The anatomy and Forensic Medical block was completed in record time of one year and my alms matar started functioning from 1st September 1960 with one floor of the main building commissioned for classes. When the college started, two boys hostel, half constructed girl's hostel were available for, accommodation of students , hospital still in planning stage but the committed team of doctors cum teachers started the college with 150 students by arranging make shift arrangements to practical and general classes in different available spaces in the ongoing construction of the building. Till 1962 when the teaching was limited to classrooms there was no problem but the moment students reached in 3rd year MBBS then their hospital duty problem came in way. It is said where there is will there is way, the district hospital { Sadar Hospital, Ranchi) was temporarily utilized for clinical teaching.
The Medical College Hospital of 1150 beds were under construction and was expected to be commissioned in 1964 but Chinese aggression lead to material shortage and only one block with 150 beds could be commissioned in the lucky month of September 1964, as in September 1959 construction started. 1st September 1960, college started and in September 1964 it was the Medical College Hospital in its small way came in existence. The full building was completed in January 1965 and commissioned in Feb 1965 with 750 beds, Medical Council of India (MCI) inspected the college and gave green signal to go ahead.
To start with College was called Ranchi Medical College but in 1964 as a humble tribute to the 1st President of India, the college was named Rajendra Medical College and Hospital, Ranchi. Medical Council of India (MCI) re inspected the college in 1971 for exploring the possibility of Post Graduate teaching here and found it fit to start the same in 1973 in selected departments.
I have the privilege of watching the every inch growth of this medical mission from 1963 when I was of eleven and half years, as I resided in RMCH colony. I am witness to many ups and downs of this institution but by going through the ru1e of average this college has maintained a very high prestigious track record and in spite of all the apathy from the Government side the hospital is the only hope of life for have nots, deserted once and orphans in particular besides lower and mid middle class the addition of cottage has started attracting upper-middle class too.
It will be injustice if I do not mention the facts that at present at least 3 main departments of AIIMS, New Delhi, is being headed by RMCH graduated and some in true with many a private hospital be it Jaslok, Jagjivan Hospital and Susrusa Hospital, Bombay, Indraprastha Apollo, New Delhi and Madras Apol!o or be it medical super specialty hospital abroad particularly USA and UK if not exaggerating the facts roughly 1/18th of UK rural health care is under supervision of our graduates.
My going back to the memory lane is not to create complex amongst our self, but just to re- remind the present medical generation how strong is our foundation frame along With very high academic and, professional heritage. If we really want to achieve to same glory of past we will have to give maximum possible time to the institution, which is our mentor. The basic principle of Teaching the top is to promote your institution, (the outcome is always positive as) institution automatically promotes all who promoted it. This has proved true with Vel!ore,
AIIMS, JIPMER or Manipal, patient go there not by the name of doctor but for the institution, we have done it in past at Ranchi too why cannot we do it again Certainly it will cause some initial pain but I every pain has gain. I will be failing in my duty if I do not use this platform to remained the State Government to fill all the vacancies, open new super-specialty departments give right incentive or hand over alma matar of mine to Central Government so that it becomes an Institute of Medical Sciences. This will stop mushrooming of private hospital, nursing homes and commercialization of medical profession, which is crossing medical ethics off and on now.
DR AJAY KUMAR SINGH
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