Posted By :  Admin1

Malappuram district’s lack of specialist doctors has become a pressing issue, prompting local legislators to call for immediate action. At a recent District Development Committee meeting chaired by District Collector V. R. Vinod, MLAs P. Abdul Hameed and Kurukkoli Moideen expressed deep concern over the allocation of specialist doctor positions in the region. Although the Kerala Health Department sanctioned 202 specialist and superspecialist doctor posts for hospitals across the state, Malappuram received just four of these positions, despite being Kerala’s most populous district. The MLAs described this distribution as unfair and urged that future allocations reflect the district’s population and healthcare needs. 

District Medical Officer Dr. T.K. Jayanthy informed the committee that a proposal for 595 doctor posts in Malappuram had already been submitted to the state government. The Collector advised health officials to follow up actively with the Health Department to address the shortfall. 

During the meeting, Tirur MLA Kurukkoli Moideen highlighted additional concerns about delays in supplying medicines for cancer patients at Tirur District Hospital. Despite patients having paid for treatment, essential drugs were not being delivered on time by the Kerala Medical Services Corporation Limited. In response, the Collector directed the District Medical Officer to coordinate with KMSCL and ensure timely access to medicines. 

Dr. Jayanthy also noted that oncology services such as mammography and chemotherapy at Tirur District Hospital are currently limited to alternate days due to staff shortages, with services available every day except Sundays. This issue underscores the broader challenge of insufficient specialist availability in the district’s healthcare infrastructure.