CHENNAI: The Government Stanley Medical College building, established in the year 1938, still has many secrets buried under its impressive structure.
The reputed institution, which first started as a medical school, offering Licensed Medical Practioner (LMP) diploma courses in 1934, graduated to becoming a medical college in 1938 after anatomy, physiology and biochemistry branches were added to it. The building, which is a combination of both old and modern architectural styles, was constructed in a circular position with 32 rooms. The anatomy dissection hall was designed in such a way that 100 students could view the section.
Interestingly, the college building has been constructed on top of an underground passage. This, it is believed, was to enable soldiers during the British period to shield themselves from their enemies. The underground passage has now been closed with wooden blocks.
“There are peepholes in the underground passage to enable soldiers to see what was happening on the surface,” said Dr Bala Subramanian, Head of ENT department, Stanley Medical College and a senior doctor of the hospital.
“As this is a heritage structure, we are planning to inform the Tamil Nadu Archaeology Department and ask them to explore it,” said Dr Isaac Christian Moses, Dean of the college. A senior staff member of the college, however, confessed that he had tried to explore the underground structure in 1982, out of curiosity. “I could not proceed after a certain distance as it was pitch dark, but till today, students and a few senior staff members like me are curious to know what is inside. The underground is always filled with ankle-deep water as rain water enters into it through the pipes in the terrace of the building. The excess water will drain out automatically from the outlets provided. This is why the building is cool even during the peak summer days,” the senior staff member added.
The original hospital was established about 200 years ago as a monegar choultry from which the hospital historically descended. In the 18th century, a village headman, maniakarar, began it for the sick and the poor. He provided porridge (Kanji) to them. This was because the British and the Nawabs of Mysore were constantly at war and this resulted in the destruction of property and loss of lives. It ended causing famines in Madras. Maniakarar ran this kanjithotti until the end of the war, after which it was converted into a choultry for the sick and the poor. The hospital’s anatomy department receives corpses for scientific study from the Monegar Choultry till today.
The medical college and hospital are considered as one of the best state-owned medical facilities and educational institutions in the country. It also boasts of a centre of excellence for hand and reconstructive microsurgery and a separate cadaver maintenance unit, the first in the country.
The hospital has an illustrious past. In 1948, the first heart surgery in India was performed here and in 1975, the first liver transplant in India was done at this hospital, added Dr Isaac.