The government’s policy is to ensure that there is at least one government medical college in every district, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said at a gathering in Thiruvananthapuram.
The government has not started any medical college in the state after 1983. More government medical colleges will ensure the service of a good cadre of well-qualified doctors for the state in future. Once fully functional, about 100 students will get admission every year in these institutions.
Mr. Chandy was speaking after laying the foundation for the second government medical college in the capital city on Thursday. The traditional lamp was lit by the head of the ruling family of erstwhile Travancore Uthradom Tirunal Marthanda Varma. The new MCH is being created through a merger of two premier hospitals under Health Service, the General Hospital and the Women and Children Hospital. As the hospitals are well-running institutions now, the only addition required would be an academic block.
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The doctors in Health Service, led by the Kerala Government Medical Officers’ Association boycotted the function in protest against the government’s “short-sighted” policy of creating more medical colleges.
Health Minister V.S. Sivakumar, Finance Minister K.M. Mani, and Industries Minister P.K. Kunhalikutty attended the function.