Kasaragod: The long-delayed Kasaragod Government Medical College, where construction has been under way since 2013, will be completed within a year, Health Minister K Muraleedharan has said. He, however, said the work is not progressing as desired. "We have already called three meetings to discuss the progress. Two meetings were convened by (Minister of Local Self Government) K M Shaji. I convened one meeting in Thiruvananthapuram. We understand the progress is not as desired. We have to find a solution," the health minister said.

He was speaking to reporters during a visit to the medical college at Ukkinadka in Badiadka panchayat on Monday, November 9.

Kasaragod is the only district without tertiary healthcare in the public sector in Keralam. Patients often have to travel to Mangaluru and Kannur for advanced treatment. The minister said the UDF government would complete the construction work soon. “We have to. We want the medical college to be fully functional within a year,” he said.

To be sure, the foundation stone for the medical college hospital was laid by then Chief Minister Oommen Chandy in November 2013. The Pinarayi Vijayan-led LDF government oversaw the project for the next 10 years. Now back in power, the UDF government too says the pace of work remains below expectations.

Addressing doctor shortage
The minister said Kasaragod would be given priority in healthcare. “Despite sanctioning posts, there is a shortage of doctors in the district,” he said.

The government had sanctioned 94 doctors' posts, conducted interviews and filled all the vacancies. However, only 34 doctors had joined duty, he said.

Health officials, however, said all 94 posts were now filled. Some vacancies that came up when doctors left for higher studies had been filled on an ad hoc basis, said District Medical Officer Dr Rekha KT.

The government has also allowed doctors registered with the Karnataka Medical Council to work in government hospitals in Kasaragod, health officials said. The proposal was made by the former district collector Arjun Pandian and accepted by the government on the condition that the doctors also register with the Kerala Medical Council, Dr Rekha said. “But as of now, we don't have any vacancies,” she said.

Muraleedharan said the government had taken a policy decision not to allow doctors posted in Kasaragod to seek transfers for two years. He said the move would help address the district's chronic shortage of doctors.

Nursing college
Land has been earmarked for a nursing college on the medical college campus, the minister said. But before the nursing college, its hostels would be built, Muraleedharan said.

The nursing college has been functioning on the campus since 2023 and currently has 179 students.

The MBBS course was started in 2025, and the first batch of 50 students has now entered the second year. However, the medical college is yet to develop into a functioning hospital. At present, the campus offers outpatient consultations only until 1 pm, with no inpatient facilities.

Nursing students have to depend on medical colleges in Kozhikode for clinical training. Officials said MBBS students would require hospital exposure only from the third year.

Periya in AIIMS shortlist
Seeking to dispel reports that Kasaragod had been left out of the proposed locations for an All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Keralam, Muraleedharan said Periya in the district was among the sites recommended to the Union government.

The clarification comes amid reports that the state government's final shortlist had narrowed the choices to Koratty in Thrissur district and Velloor in Kottayam district, near Vaikom.

The state had initially identified 10 potential locations and forwarded them to the Union Health Ministry for consideration. The reported exclusion of Kasaragod from the final shortlist had raised concerns in the district, which has long been campaigning for an AIIMS.