Kerala Health Minister instructs Idukki Medical College to regain MCI approval this academic year

Kerala Health Minister KK Shailaja has given instructions to take steps to ensure that Idukki Medical College gets Medical Council of India (MCI) approval for this academic year. The decision came following a high-level meeting in the minister's chamber on Tuesday.

The principal secretary for health will visit Idukki Medical College to evaluate the situation. Two inspections were conducted so far and the meeting concluded that there is infrastructure to get fifty seats approved.

The ambulance allocated from the MP fund of Joyce Joseph will be made available to the hospital as part of steps to bring better facilities for people. The government is now focussed on getting approval for the academic block, strengthening the radiation department and gaining environment clearance certificate.

The departments needed for setting up the medical college are in the works. The necessary departments for the first-year MBBS including Anatomy, Physiology and biochemistry are being set up. In addition to this, pediatric, gynaecology and surgery departments are already functioning. The pathology, microbiology, forensic medicine and community medicine necessary for the second year course are also in the works.

The hospital block, emergency operation theatre, full-fledged medical and surgical ICUs, centralised oxygen facility, blood bank, full-fledged laboratory facilities and advanced mortuary are also being prepared.

Even though the previous government started the college, the lack of facilities had made MCI cancel the permit and shut down the college. The government had then moved the students to other government medical colleges to ensure their continued education and got MCI's approval for the same.

The government had also allotted a RS 60.17 crore to build a hospital block with sufficient beds and inaugurated the academic block which was built with a budget of Rs 10.5 crore.

The health minister asserted that the government is giving great importance to making Idukki Medical college a reality and also to ensure that there is the best medical care available in the high range area.

The meeting had Additional chief secretary for health Rajeev Sadanandan, Principal secretary for health Dr Rajan N Khobragade, Principal Secretary for Higher education and Environment department Usha Titus and Medical education director Dr M Ramla Beevi in attendance.