The department of Medical Gastroenterology was established in 1982. Dr. Peda Veerraju joined the department in 1988 and went on to become the first department head in 1992. The endoscopy rooms were established first at King Geroge Hospital in 1995, and a complete Video Endoscopy Unit was later sanctioned under Dr. C.M. Habeebullah during his tenure as DME.

The Acute Liver care unit was started in 1996 and the ERCP unit was started in 2000. Post graduate superspecialty training with the DM program started in 2002. The department shifted to the super specialty block in 2011 with 3 endoscopy rooms in the suite.

The department boasts several regional and state firsts being the first in India to do a double balloon enteroscopy, the first cholangioscopy unit in AP in 2013, and the first Government college to perform EUS (endoscopic ultrasound), and start a manometry unit with esophageal and anorectal manometry. It was the first center in AP to do P.O.E.M (per oral endoscopic myotomy) ‐ which are considered third space procedures, and part of advanced endoscopy.

The department is a nodal center for the NVHCP program for screening for Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C and under project Habeeb, a Hepatitis B vaccination program was started in 2010. It remains a center for ISG taskforce on framing guidelines for GERD and UGI bleed. The faculty are actively involved in research and publish in national and international journals.