Kerala expands medical college bed capacity and proposes rural doctor allowances

The Kerala Health Department has implemented an expansion of inpatient capacity across four government medical colleges to address overcrowding. A total of 820 new beds have been added in Thiruvananthapuram, Kottayam, Thrissur, and Kozhikode. This initiative follows a directive from Health Minister K Muraleedharan to ensure patients are not forced to receive care on hospital floors due to lack of space.

Thiruvananthapuram Medical College received the largest increase with 300 beds, while Kottayam and Kozhikode each added 160 beds. Thrissur Medical College added 200 beds through the establishment of two new wards. The expansion was determined by comparing inpatient registers against existing bed strength.

Simultaneously, the state has proposed a 30% increase in remote-rural allowances for doctors to combat acute staff shortages in rural medical college hospitals. The proposal specifically targets specialist recruitment for facilities in Idukki, Kasaragod, and Wayanad. While infrastructure is being expanded, medical associations have noted that additional posts for nurses, lab assistants, and office staff remain necessary to ensure effective specialized treatment.