Idukki Medical College is now battling its own malaise — administrative apathy. The institution, meant to heal, is itself ailing from incomplete infrastructure to basic service failures. The symptoms are plenty, and the cure lies in urgent and focused government intervention.

No seats, no funds
Patients and their companions have no place to sit while waiting at the reception, where both the outpatient department and pharmacy operate. Repeated complaints have been brushed aside, with the authorities citing a lack of funds. The same dismal scenario prevails in other departments, including ophthalmology.

Lift or junkyard?
Construction of the main building’s elevator remains incomplete. Patients are forced to use a ramp. Worse, the unfinished lift area has become a dumping ground for waste.

Chaos in the parking lot
The parking area is in utter disarray. Vehicles are parked randomly, making it nearly impossible for drivers to manoeuvre in or out, especially after turning in from the Thodupuzha–Puliyanmala State Highway. Even ambulances struggle to find space.

A mini-reservoir of mosquitoes
Ironically, the design feature above the college’s main entrance, which is a miniature of the Idukki reservoir, has turned into a stagnant pool of water. Viewed from the first floor, it resembles a replica of the Cheruthoni reservoir, but one that breeds mosquitoes.

Need to buy costly medicines from outside
Thodupuzha: On June 30, a 40-year-old man, who is an estate worker, was bitten by a stray dog. He received the IDRV vaccine at the Devikulam Community Health Centre. Due to the seriousness of the wound, he was referred to Adimali Taluk Hospital for the Equine Rabies Immunoglobulin (ERIG) vaccine. But an allergic reaction prompted another referral, this time to Idukki Medical College.

The patient, anxious to return to work after losing two days of wages, arrived at the college hoping for relief. But another roadblock awaited him. The Human Rabies Immunoglobulin (HRIG) vaccine, essential for patients allergic to ERIG, was not available. He was referred again, this time to Kottayam Medical College Hospital or was asked to buy the medicine from any private drug store. Following this, the person bought the HRIG vaccine from a private pharmacy for ₹3,500 in Cheruthoni.