Kerala now has medical colleges in each district

Thiruvananthapuram: Following the recent NMC approval for medical colleges in Wayanad and Kasaragod, Kerala now has government medical colleges in each district, said Health Minister Veena George.

With the addition of 100 new MBBS seats, the admission process for medical students in the new institutes will begin in the current academic year, soon after necessary arrangements are completed. The first batch of admissions will begin with 50 students each in Wayanad and Kasaragod.

Medical Dialogues recently reported that the National Medical Commission (NMC) has approved two additional Government Medical Colleges in the state, one in Wayanad and the other in Kasaragod, with an intake of 50 MBBS seats each.

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Both colleges are being developed in a phased manner on par with other government institutions, with large-scale infrastructure and academic facilities already in place to launch MBBS courses.

At the Wayanad Government Medical College, a multipurpose block was constructed at a cost of Rs 45 crore, alongside the establishment of a 60-seat Nursing College. A total of 140 positions, including 115 teaching staff and 25 non-teaching staff, have been created and filled.

In Kasaragod, the construction of the Medical College is underway, with an administrative sanction of Rs 160 crore from the KIIFB. The academic block has been completed, and work on the hospital block is in progress. An Rs 8 crore allocation has been made for a dedicated water supply system, while hostel construction, valued at Rs 29 crore, is nearing completion.

The Health Minister described this achievement as a historic milestone for Kerala’s healthcare sector. She said this while inaugurating new facilities, including a target-level labour room, operation theatre, dedicated ICU unit, and geriatric ward at Kozhencherry District Hospital, along with laying the foundation for the new District TB Centre building at Vandoopetta Ground, Kozhencherry.

Speaking at the event, the minister told ETV Bharat, “This is a major achievement in the field of medical education; every district now has both a medical college and a nursing college. Students will be able to pursue their studies on merit at government fee rates.”

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