T’puram: Union health minister J P Nadda has given in-principle approval to start admissions for 100 MBBS seats from the next academic year at K Karunakaran Memorial Govt Medical College, health minister K Muraleedharan said.The assurance was given during a meeting held in New Delhi between Nadda and an official delegation led by Muraleedharan.According to the minister, Nadda described it as ‘criminal negligence’ that despite infrastructure having been completed nearly a decade ago at significant cost, MBBS courses could not be started. He said around 1,100 students could have benefited from medical education at the institution during this period.Muraleedharan also said the Union health minister assured the state that AIIMS would be sanctioned for Kerala.Nadda also asked the state to submit a proposal for establishing India’s first genetic institute in Kerala, Muraleedharan said. He also assured central assistance for setting up trauma care centres in district hospitals across the state.Muraleedharan added that Nadda also gave in-principle approval to Kerala’s request to enhance the coverage under the central govt’s health insurance scheme. He further assured support for upgrading the state’s three mental health centres and for providing central assistance to administer the HPV vaccine to girls.The delegation informed the Union minister that the allocation under National Health Mission (NHM) was inadequate for the state. Nadda reportedly assured that the allocation would be enhanced when additional funds become available.The state also sought support for procuring medicines for non-communicable diseases, certain cancer drugs and medicines that are currently unavailable in India. The Union minister assured that steps would be taken to address these requirements. He also promised increased central assistance for the state virology institute.
