Finally, nod to take over Pariyaram college

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state cabinet decided to promulgate an ordinance to take over the Academy of Medical Sciences at Pariyaram and the Kerala cooperative hospital complex. The draft ordinance has been approved by the state cabinet and will be send to the Governor for final approval.
The government intends to provide quality healthcare in the Malabar region and hence it has decided to take over the cooperative medical college, said the government release issued after the cabinet meeting.

The Rs 266.47 crore loan from HUDCO will be repaid by the state government. HUDCO and finance department has reached an agreement for repaying the loan in two years. The finance department in discussion with the HUDCO has decided for an upfront payment of Rs 50 crore. The remaining will be paid over eight quarters in two years' time.

Even though the previous UDF government had decided to take over the Pariyaram medical college, the huge financial liability in the form of various loans had prevented the UDF from executing it. However, after the LDF came to power the government had decided to have a relook into the matter.

A cabinet sub-committee was formed for studying into the takeover of the college and as per the recommendations of this committee, state government had decided to convert Pariyaram cooperative medical college into an autonomous body in the model of Regional Cancer Centre.

The loan was taken from HUDCO in 1997 for construction and the previous UDF government had earmarked Rs 100 crore in the budget of 2016 towards the payment of the loan liability. The medical college also owes over Rs 80 crore to the Ernakulam District Cooperative Bank which will now also be repaid by the state government.

Health minister K K Shailaja said with the take over, 100 more MBBS seats will come to the government sector in addition to the 37 post-graduate seats.