Ode to Glancy Medical College

I was a student of Glancy Medical College in Amritsar, which was later renamed as Government Medical College, from 1959 to 1964. Set up by the British in Lahore in 1864 as a medical school and later relocated to Amritsar in 1920, Glancy Medical College was one of the leading centres of excellence in north-west India.

The medical college had some of the most renowned faculty members. These included Prof Inderjit Dewan (Anatomy), Prof Shiv Kumar (Physiology), Prof NL Chitkara (Pathology), Prof KN Garg (Pharmacology) and Prof SS Anand (Principal and Head of Surgery). Other well-known teachers included Prof Yudhvir Sachdeva (Surgery), Prof RP Malhotra and Prof PN Chuttani (Medicine), Prof SR Dhall (Gynae and Obstetrics) and Prof MS Nirankari (Ophthalmology).

We were a batch of 100 students: 80 boys and 20 girls. Right on the first day of college, we were advised to wear a special dress — white pants and shirt in summer; white pants, shirt, neck tie and red blazer in winter. The girls wore white salwar-suit. Our uniform, with the college insignia, gave us a unique distinction and recognition, and we felt a sense of pride wearing the same.

Hostel life had a fair measure of cordiality, which we cherished. While a washerman would regularly come to take clothes for laundry, a barber would visit the hostel. At the hostel mess, we were served nutritious food, with a varied menu.

Our time in college was full of action. The dissection halls, where we studied human anatomy, would be vibrant with energy and excitement. We would dissect each part gradually in a phased manner. The lessons we learnt there laid a strong foundation of our practising career.

After our classes in the medical college, all the students would ride their bicycles to reach VJ (Victoria Jubilee) Hospital and other allied hospitals (gynae, ENT and eye), which were nearly 2 km away. There, we were given classes in clinical practical training.

In the first year of our college, we also joined the National Cadet Corps. Every year in December, an NCC camp would be held. Once, we had a camp in Jabalpur.

After completing my MBBS from Amritsar, I joined the PGI for my MS, following which I did my MCh (Urology) from AIIMS.

The first blow to the college came in 1956 with the establishment of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi. The second one was the setting up of PGIMER in Chandigarh in 1962. We were in our third year when PGI came into being. The birth of these two premier medical institutes in the region saw most of the top faculty from this mother institute moving to Delhi and Chandigarh. Not only this, even the second line-up of teachers moved with them.

The first exodus saw Prof KL Wig, Prof BK Anand and Prof KC Kandhari moving to AIIMS. The second saw leading faculty members like Prof Tulsi Das (Eye and ENT), Prof SS Anand, Prof Chuttani and Prof Dhall moving to the PGI. With such renowned teachers leaving, the institute was unable to retain its position as among the top medical institutes of the country.

Today, the alumni of the institute are settled all over the globe and have brought laurels and distinction to the institute. Some have adorned the high offices of director of PGI. These include Prof IC Pathak, Prof PL Wahi, Prof JS Neki, Prof BK Sharma and the incumbent, Prof Vivek Lal.

I went back to the college twice later, including once for the golden jubilee celebrations and another time for the alumni meet of our batch. The old hostel for boys had been given to the girls. As I stood on the campus with my old friends, it brought back memories of the time we’d spent together in college. The medical college has expanded over the years. Even as I want to relive the past with those memories, it is sad to see that while AIIMS and PGI have today become the premier medical institutes of the country, this mother institute has not been able to recover its past grandeur.

As my alma mater is celebrating its centennial year, I pray and hope that dedicated and unwavering commitment will help it regain its lost glory.

— The writer is former Director, PGI, Chandigarh