The Kerala government has drawn up an action plan to address infrastructure gaps and improve the functioning of the Government Medical College, Palakkad.Priority is being given to completing pending works and strengthening essential services, said Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and Backward Classes Welfare Minister K.A. Thulasi.She said the government planned to develop the medical college into a super-specialty health-care centre by spending about ₹550 crore.The immediate priorities include securing the hospital block’s fire safety clearance, completing the mortuary, sewage and drainage works, medical gas supply system, and information technology and electronics infrastructure. A 24-hour trauma care unit will also be set up.New postsThe Minister said ₹97.39 crore was required for these works, of which ₹20 crore had been allocated in the 2026-27 State Budget. Another ₹38 crore would be needed to create posts and meet salary expenses.To retain National Medical Commission recognition, around 200 faculty posts should be filled. Shifting administrative expenditure from the Plan fund to the Non-Plan head would entail an additional expenditure of about ₹111 crore this year, she said.A high-level monitoring committee, chaired by Palakkad MP V.K. Sreekandan, has been constituted to oversee the construction. Its members include the Palakkad MLA, the District Collector, the Director of the Scheduled Castes Development Department and the Director of the Institute of Integrated Medical Sciences (IIMS), with the special officer of IIMS serving as the convener. The committee will review the work progress every month, while the special officer will inspect the work every 10 days.The Minister said the government would provide the required funds to ensure that the medical college functioned smoothly this year.Established in 2012 to provide specialised health care to Palakkad district, particularly the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes population and residents of Attappady, the medical college now treats more than 1,000 outpatients a day. However, inadequate infrastructure and the absence of super-specialty departments continue to force patients requiring advanced care to travel to the Government Medical Colleges in Thrissur and Kozhikode or hospitals in Coimbatore.Although inpatient services began in March 2024, the incomplete hospital block continues to affect the institution’s functioning. Published - July 02, 2026 08:07 pm IST