First nature cure medical college to come up in Vizag

Amaravati: Andhra Pradesh will soon get its first Nature Cure Medical College in Visakhapatnam, with admissions set to begin from the 2026-27 academic year. The announcement was made here on Sunday by Medical and Health Minister Satya Kumar Yadav, who stated that the coalition government is making significant efforts to revitalize AYUSH medical services, including Ayurveda, Homeopathy, Unani, and Naturopathy, which had been neglected by the previous administration.

As part of this initiative, the State is also preparing to open new AYUSH Integrated Hospitals in Visakhapatnam and Kakinada. In addition, a new government-run facility for the production and quality testing of Ayurvedic medicines will be established in Visakhapatnam.

After the State’s bifurcation, the Central government approved the establishment of a Nature Cure Hospital and two AYUSH Integrated Hospitals to the State in 2016-17. However, these projects were not pursued by the subsequent government.

Following the formation of the coalition government, Minister Satya Kumar Yadav has taken proactive steps to secure funding for these projects. As a result, funds have been released after a three-year delay: Rs 7.17 crore for Kakinada hospital, Rs 4.18 crore for Visakhapatnam integrated hospital and Rs 4.08 crore for Nature Cure Medical College.

The Nature Cure Medical College, being built at the VIMS campus in Visakhapatnam at a cost of Rs 16.4 crore, will begin offering a Bachelor of Naturopathy and Yoga Sciences (BNYS) course from the academic year 2026-27. The Central government is expected to approve an intake of 50 seats for the course.

Adjacent to the college, construction of a 50-bed AYUSH Integrated Hospital, costing Rs 14.85 crore, is nearing completion. This hospital will provide Ayurvedic, Homeopathic, and Unani medical services to the public. As a government institution, it is expected to receive admissions approval from the central government quickly.

The state government has also submitted a proposal to the central government to establish a separate 50-bed Nature Cure Hospital at an estimated cost of Rs 16 crore to complement the medical college.

Construction of an Ayurvedic Pharmacy and a Drug Testing Laboratory is nearly complete in the Sontyam area of Visakhapatnam, with an estimated cost of Rs 6 crore. The state government will spend an additional Rs 5 crore to procure the necessary equipment and machinery.

In Kakinada, a 50-bed AYUSH Integrated Hospital is also nearing completion on the premises of the Government Polytechnic College. This hospital is expected to be operational within three months, providing Ayurvedic, Homeopathic, and Unani medical services.

Minister Satya Kumar Yadav also revealed that proposals have been sent to the central AYUSH Ministry for the establishment of Ayurvedic Medical Colleges in Dharmavaram (in Sri Sathya Sai district) and Kakinada under the National AYUSH Mission. Proposals for a 50-bed Ayurvedic hospital to be attached to the Dharmavaram College are also under government review. Notably, Minister Satya Kumar Yadav represents the Dharmavaram constituency.