Amidst the proposed shifting of Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS) from Bengaluru to Ramanagaram, a demand has emanated for setting up the University encompassing all the medical and allied health sciences institutions in the state in Mysuru.
Member of University of Mysore’s Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Board (PME) K. Mahadev has urged Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai to commemorate the centenary celebrations of Mysore Medical College in 2024 by announcing the shifting of RGUHS headquarters to Mysore Medical College and Research Insitute (MMC&RI) in Mysuru.
Dr. Mahadev, in a letter to the Chief Minister, has claimed that RGUHS, when established in 1995, was scheduled to have its headquarters in Mysuru and the MMC&RI was to become the RGUHS University College to bring back the old glory. “But, due to some unknown reason, the headquarters of RGUHS was shifted to Bengaluru and then to Ramanagaram. Now, almost 27 years had passed, but the RGUHS has not seen a building of its own”, he lamented.
He recalled that the late Maharaja of Mysur Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar was the founder of Mysore Medical College, which initially started in Bengaluru as a medical school in 1917 to train sub-assistant surgeons. Later, it was upgraded to offer LMP course in 1924. “Subsequently, it was shifted to Mysuru to start MBBS degree course by our late Maharaja as Mysore University Mysore Medical College. It was the seventh medical college to be established in the whole of India”, said Dr. Mahadev, who is a former member of University of Mysore’s Syndicate and former General Secretary of Vokkaligara Sangha.
The college, which had made tremendous progress from then onwards, separated from the University of Mysore in 1952 to become the Government Mysore Medical College. However, it continued to be affiliated to University of Mysore till 1995 when the RGUHS was established.
As a mark of respect to the late Maharaja of Mysore and to commemorate 100 years of existence of Government Medical college, it is the right time to shift RGUHS headquarters to MMC&RI campus and name it as RGUHS Medical College, he said.
Dr Mahadev contended that Mysuru was the “right place” for RGUHS as it already has the necessary infrastructure.
