Government Medical College, Kottayam

Campus Location: Kottayam

Located in The project for establishing a Medical College at Kottayam was included in the third Five Year Plan, First batch (1961 batch) of 50 MBBS students were selected and accommodated at Medical College Thiruvananthapuram from 01.08.1961, Site for the Campus was identified in 1962 and acquisition begins.This area was the confluence of 3 panchayaths,viz; Kumaranalloor,Athirampuzha and Arpookara and formed part of the territorial limits of 3 villages also,ie; Perumbaikkad, Athirampuzha and Kaipuzha(Present day Arpookara), Dr. CM Francis was appointed as Principal and Special Officer of the Medical College Kottayam. He took over on 07.05.1962 and started functioning from Kottayam town., Semi permanent buildings were constructed to house the college and two hostels(one for 100 male and the other for 50 female students), Second batch (01.08.1962) of 50 students were also accommodated at MC Thiruvananthapuram., The Inspection Commision of the Kerala University visited the college on 07.10.1962 for assessing the facilities;affliation was granted on the basis of Commission’s report, 1962 admission (II batch – 50 students) accommodated at Thiruvananthapuram joined the Arpookara Campus on 03.12.1962 after 3 months (September to November 1962) at TVM., The Medical College was formally inaugurated on 03.12.1962 by Sri.R Sankar,the Chief Minister of Kerala in the presence of Sri.M P Govindan Nair,the Health Minister, Campus on the day of inauguration consisted of the semi permanent buildings to house pre clinical and para clinical departments,library,animal house,store,Ladies hostel (now DCK) and Men’s hostel (now MHSQ) besides the PWD office and 7 acquired buildings., admission (I batch – 50 students) joined the campus on 06.01.1963 after 1st MBBS at Thiruvananthapuram., The Dist Hospital at Kottayam was brought under MCK and used as teaching hospital (MCH Kottayam) from January 1963 onwards;a 100 bedded block for Medicine and surgery and another 116- bedded block for O& G and Paediatrics were constructed in the DH complex in 1963 and 1964.Total 216 teaching beds, III batch (1963) with increased strength of 60 students was admitted at MCK itself on 01.08.63, Construction of permanent buildings for hostels for men and women, quarters etc were undertaken from 1963, Annual intake increased to 80 from 1964 batch, An area of 2.3 square miles around the campus was declared as Controlled Area and “Kottayam Medical College Area Development Authority” was constituted to ensure proper development, The MC Health Centre at Ettumanoor was established in 1965 abolishing the Govt.Dispensary there., Construction EFG block and Kitchen block of MCH at Arpookara was completed., Construction of the present OP block and laundry of MCH at Arpookara was completed., Medical College Hospital at Arpookara was formally inaugurated by the then Minister for health Sri KM George on 14.04.1970, Departments of Medicine & Surgery were shifted from DH Kottayam to MCH Arpookara. Other depts. Continued to function at DH Kottayam (MCH Kottayam), Campus in 1970 consisted of the semi permanent buildings to house pre & para clinical departments, library, animal house, college office & central workshop (earlier women’s hostel and now part of DCK), pharmacy, MCH EFG block, laundry, kitchen block, women’s hostel (now MHSQ), men’s hostel, PHED, PWD office & store, Quartes type A: 01-10, B: 01-13, C: 01-17, D: 01-05, E: 01-16, F: 01-16, G: 01-34, and 7 no’s of acquired buildings, PG Courses (MS Surgery & MD Medicine) started from 1973-74 (01.06.1973), Construction of ABC block of MCH at Arpookara was completed; other major departments were shifted from DH Kottayam to MCH Gandhinagar in 1974 & 75, The Campus and the surrounding locality were christened as Gandhinagar, ESI hospital with its quarters and campus was taken over from ESI Corporaton on payment and converted as Institute of Child Health in April 1975, shifting the Paeds dept from DH Kottayam, Strength of admission increased from 80 to 85 during 1977-78; Bed strength stood at 837, Annual intake of MBBS increased to 100 from 1979-80 admission onwards, Affliation was shifted to Gandhiji University (renamed Mahathma Gandhi University later) when it was established in 1980’s bifurcating the Kerala University., College of Nursing Kottayam started functioning from May 1982 with 25 BSc(Ng) students. Due to lack of facilities at MCK, it was accommodated at the college of nursing TVM., The new MC administrative block opened in Oct.1985, College of Nursing shifted to Gandhinagar in November 1985; starts functioning from the space vacated by college office (present Dental College). Use Google Maps for turn-by-turn driving directions to the campus.