THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Centre, which has allotted Rs 2145 crore to Tamil Nadu under the scheme for setting up medical colleges in district and referral hospitals, is not considering Kerala's application. An application was sent last year to convert the Mananthavady District Hospital in Wayanad into a medical college. However, the Centre returned the application pointing out that it cannot be allotted now. Only those districts without government medical colleges can apply. That is why Wayanad applied for a medical college, the health department said. A medical college needs central assistance of at least Rs 200 crore. It should have got at least 100 MBBS. There are 1450 such medical seats available in Tamil Nadu. Out of the total expenditure of Rs 4080 crore for setting up medical colleges, Tamil Nadu has spent Rs 1935 apart from the Central share.

In Tamil Nadu, medical colleges started functioning together in Virudhunagar, Namakkal, Nilgiris, Tirupur, Tiruvallur, Nagapattinam, Dindigul, Kallakurichi, Ariyalur, Ramanathapuram and Krishnagiri districts.

At the same time, the Kerala government is of the view that it will construct its own medical college in Wayanad, though it has not received any central assistance. The 65 acres of land acquired by the government from the Glenlowen Estate in Boys Town have been handed over to the Medical College. Mananthavady has 8.74 acres of land. 125 teaching and 15 non-teaching posts have been created. A 500-bed hospital will also be built. An estimate of Rs 308 crore has been prepared.

• The Medical Commission has not given permission to Konni and Idukki Govt. Medical Colleges citing the inadequacy of facilities, including hospital.
• The plan for a second medical college in Thiruvananthapuram adjacent to the General Hospital seems to have been abandoned. The constructed five-storey building is remaining locked.
• The Medical Commission had cancelled the admission given to 50 students each in 2014 and 2015 in Idukki due to a lack of basic facilities.