TRIVANDRUM’S GOVERNMENT
AYURVEDA COLLEGE TO TURN 125
One of
the capital city’s most known landmarks, the Government Ayurveda College, is
gearing up to celebrate its 125 anniversary.Established by the ruling family of
erstwhile Travancore in 1889 as a ‘patashala’, this institution slowly was
transformed and developed into the Ayurveda College, growing every year and
commencing diploma and degree courses in Ayurveda in 1951, then under the
affiliation of the University of Travancore. In 1971, postgraduate courses were
offered, under affiliation to the University of Kerala and now, the institution
has 15 full-fledged departments offering undergraduate and 12 postgraduate
programmes, affiliated to the Kerala University of Health Sciences.
The
college has about 1,500 students, 85 teaching staff and 20 scientific staff,
apart from around 190 non-teaching staff. A recognised research centre for
pursuing research leading to a Ph. D from the University of Kerala, the college
also offers B.A.M.S, MD/MS and paramedical courses.The main campus of the
college is in the heart of the city, standing in a plot of about six acres and
comprising the Academic Block, library, hospital, pharmacy, Drug
Standardization Unit, Publication Division and office of the Principal and
Administration. Adjoining the main campus, the second campus houses the ladies’
hostel, official quarters and Arogya Bhavan. The third campus at Poojapura
spreads over eight acres and includes the Panchakarma Hospital complex, three
postgraduate departments, Pharmacognosy unit, medicinal plants garden, snake
park and men’s hostel. The fourth campus, also situated at Poojapura, has the
Women and Children Hospital complex.
According
to a hand-out from the college, the library can accommodate 300 learners, has
over 25,000 books, 1,000 thesis, 60 journals, periodicals and audio-visual,
e-learning and internet services. The hospital has 550 beds with 100 per cent
occupancy throughout the year. The outpatient departments has an average of 950
patients a day.The Snake Park has over 100 live specimens and 82 preserved ones
while the herbal garden rears about 400 species of medicinal plants. The Drug
Standardisation Unit houses a number of sophisticated and high-end research
instruments that are used for advanced drug research.The 125 anniversary
celebrations will be a year-long programme beginning on October 17 and will
include public health initiatives, workshops, national and international
seminars, literary and scientific discourses, cultural meets, exhibitions and
other programmes, according to P.K. Asok, Principal of the college. Health
Minister V.S. Sivakumar will hoist the flag at 9 a.m. on October 17 while Mayor
K. Chandrika will inaugurate a 125 sapling-planting programme. A procession
will be taken out from the college at 5 p.m.
Prof. John Kurakar
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