MGM MEDICAL COLLEGE, the early years…..

Inputs: From My Father (Late Dr S R Sarma) and Sir Dr Jakhanwal (ex HOD Physiology MGM)

Dr S R Sarma came to TMH in 1939 and left to start his practice in 1947. He soon got involved in the social fabric of a relatively young town and realized that education was lacking. In the late 50s, while he was in the governing body of Jamshedpur Co-Operative College with Mr Madan, the idea of establishing a medical college came up. He proposed this to the IMA, and with Dr Ganguly and Mr Madan founded the college and with herculean efforts the first classes started at the IMA hall in Nov 1961 with 50 pioneering students from India and across the world!!

Bihar’s first private medical college was born in Jamshedpur, away from city limits at the picturesque foothills of Dalma hills, on land donated by the the then chief minister Shri Krishna Sinha.

By third year, the college building was ready and the college could finally shift to its present place. The problem of clinical attachment and teaching was solved when Dr Sarma met Mr JRD Tata and requested him to allow clinical rotations of MGM students in TMH. Mr Tata asked him – how will the hospital benefit? To which he replied: the doctors will become teachers and get a rank of a medical college faculty! This appealed to Mr Tata and as we all know the rotations started in TMH and later at the then Sadar Hospital in Sakchi.

The college attracted the best teachers from all over India and we all know how we have benefitted from their knowledge and zeal in the pre and para clinical departments. Dr Sahay was the first principal and then Dr HP Sinha followed by a series of luminaries Dr Mrs Nijhawan, Dr CR Banerjee, Dr R K Sharma to name a few.

Gradually the student hostels came up with the picturesque Dalma hills in the background and students shifted from their makeshift hostels like Talwar Building ,the building opposite Hotel Rajhans and Jaiswal Building !!

There was a tradition of students coming in the evening to Dr Sarma’s home at Circuit House Area to celebrate Holi in the evening! Dr S R Sarma remained the President of the Governing Body of MGM, aided by a very able team, till 1978 when all private medical colleges in erstwhile Bihar were brought under government management.

The dream of having an attached hospital in the same campus as the college is finally taking shape now!

Long live MGM and alumnus

FunTrivia- initially the proposal for the college was rejected- reason- how can a college come up in Mango (tree) that’s what was thought!!