Doctors No Longer Required to Travel to Vijayawada; Services to Be Extended Statewide
Tirupati – In a significant move aimed at easing procedural hurdles for medical professionals, the Andhra Pradesh Medical Council (APMC) has launched district-level registration and re-registration services at Sri Venkateswara Medical College (SVMC), Tirupati — a first-of-its-kind initiative in the state.
The initiative was officially inaugurated on Saturday by Tirupati District Collector S. Venkatesh and APMC Chairman Dr Daggumati Sreehari Rao. The new service allows practising doctors and medicos to access various services — including re-registration, renewals, and No Objection Certificates (NOCs) — without having to travel to Vijayawada, as was the norm previously. However, permanent registration will continue to be processed only in Vijayawada.
“Senior doctors, medical practitioners, and medicos should take advantage of this facility,” said Collector S. Venkatesh, addressing attendees at the launch event.
Services to Be Available Every Weekend
The council announced that these services will be provided every Saturday and Sunday, and will gradually be rolled out to other districts across Andhra Pradesh in a phased manner.
Dr Daggumati Sreehari Rao, who took charge as APMC Chairman in April, emphasized that the initiative was in response to long-standing complaints from senior doctors and practitioners regarding travel-related inconvenience.
“After completing biometrics once, doctors will not have to visit APMC again for any service. This move is to support senior citizens and others who find it difficult to travel to Vijayawada,” Dr Rao stated.
Other Reforms by APMC
Dr Rao has also introduced several reformative steps, including:
- Allowing renewal applications to be submitted three months in advance
- Offering a discount on CME (Continuing Medical Education) credit points
- Instituting a gold medal for each final-year topper in medical colleges
