Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The Government Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram, is a public medical college in
Thiruvananthapuram Thiruvananthapuram ( ), also known as Trivandrum, is the Capital city, capital city of the Indian state of Kerala. As of 2011, the Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation had a population of 957,730 over an area of 214.86 sq. km, making it the ...
,
Kerala Kerala ( , ) is a States and union territories of India, state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile ...
, India. Founded in 1951, it was inaugurated by Prime Minister
Jawaharlal Nehru Jawaharlal Nehru (14 November 1889 – 27 May 1964) was an Indian anti-colonial nationalist, secular humanist, social democrat, and statesman who was a central figure in India during the middle of the 20th century. Nehru was a pr ...
and is Kerala's first ever Medical College. Its campus houses several hospitals and institutions in addition to Medical College Hospital (MCH), including the Colleges of Nursing and Pharmaceutical sciences, the
Regional Cancer Centre Regional Cancer Centres (RCCs) are cancer care hospitals and research institutes operating in India under the joint control and funding of the Government of India and the respective state governments. The name 'regional' because each of these insti ...
; an autonomous institution founded jointly by the state and union governments, Thiruvananthapuram Dental College,
Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST), formerly Sree Chitra Tirunal Medical Center, is an Institution of National Importance in India established in 1976 at Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. The institute is a sta ...
; another autonomous institute under Govt of India, the Priyadarshini Institute of Paramedical Sciences, the Sree Avittom Thirunal Hospital for Women and Children (SAT Hospital), where the highest number of deliveries are reported in Asia, Child development centre (CDC) an autonomous institution under state government and the Multidisciplinary Research Laboratory (MDRL). The
Regional Institute of Ophthalmology Apex Institute & R.I.O.s in India Apex institute Dr. R.P. Centre for Ophthalmic Sciences, New Delhi Dr. Rajendra Prasad Centre for Ophthalmic Sciences at All India Institute of Medical Sciences has been recognized as the Apex Organisation by th ...
(RIO), also a part of the college, is being upgraded to a national-level independent institute.


Location

The college is north of the
Thiruvananthapuram Central Railway Station Thiruvananthapuram Central (station code: TVC,) is an NSG–2 category railway station in Thiruvananthapuram railway division of Southern Railway zone. It is a major railway station that serves the city of Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of ...
and the KSRTC Central Bus Station. The campus and hospital campus are west of Dr. C. O. Karunakaran Avenue (formerly the Kumarapuram-Ulloor Road). Across from the hospital is the Chalakuzhi road, which meets the NH544 near Pattom. The college is about from
Thiruvananthapuram International Airport Thiruvananthapuram International Airport is an international airport that serves Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of Kerala, India. Established in 1932, it is the first airport in the state of Kerala and the fifth international airport of ...
.


History


1948–1980

The history of Medical College starts with construction of Sree Avittom Thirunal hospital for women and children by Travancore Royal Family. Avittom Thirunal was the crown prince of Travancore. His death due rheumatic heart disease lead then Maharaja Sree Padmanabha dasa chithira thirunal balarama varma to construct this unique first few of its kind in India. In 1948, the government of Travancore appointed a committee to formulate proposals for a medical college at Thiruvananthapuram. The committee submitted its report and the scheme was sanctioned in October of that year. C. O. Karunakaran was appointed Special Officer for the implementation of the scheme, and was the college's first dean. The campus was , with
hillock A hillock or knoll is a small hill,The Free Dictionary
"hillock" entry, retrieved December 18, 2007
...
s surrounded by evergreen coconut groves and paddy fields and facing the sea, from northwestern Thiruvananthapuram city. Its layout and architectural designs were prepared by J. A. Ritchie of Bombay. The college and hospital buildings were separated by playgrounds for football and hockey, a cricket pitch, courts for tennis, basketball, badminton and volleyball, and a 400-meter track. The foundation stone was laid by Raja Pramukh of
Travancore The kingdom of Travancore (), also known as the kingdom of Thiruvithamkoor () or later as Travancore State, was a kingdom that lasted from until 1949. It was ruled by the Travancore Royal Family from Padmanabhapuram, and later Thiruvanan ...
Cochin Kochi ( , ), formerly known as Cochin ( ), is a major port city along the Malabar Coast of India bordering the Laccadive Sea. It is part of the district of Ernakulam in the state of Kerala. The city is also commonly referred to as Ernaku ...
(Sree Padmanabhadasa Vanchipala Chithira thirunal Balarama Verma) at 11:45 am on 26 January 1950, and the first group of students was admitted in August 1951. The college was dedicated by Jawaharlal Nehru at 8:00 am on 27 November 1951 in the presence of Sree Chithira Thirunal. In January 1952, the Sri. Avittom Thirunal Hospital (SATH) was dedicated by Rajkumari Amrit Kaur. A men's hostel opened in 1952, followed by a women's Hostel one year later. The Medical College Hospital was dedicated by Prime Minister Nehru in 1954. The School of Nursing was dedicated by Sethu Lakshmi Bai in 1954, and was upgraded to a college of nursing in 1963. The cancer wing was dedicated in 1958; after two decades, the Regional Cancer Centre was founded. The dentistry course and the first post-graduate course began in 1959. The library was established during the 1960s. The limb center and mental and ophthalmic hospitals were brought into the college. During the 1990s the Regional Institute of
Ophthalmology Ophthalmology (, ) is the branch of medicine that deals with the diagnosis, treatment, and surgery of eye diseases and disorders. An ophthalmologist is a physician who undergoes subspecialty training in medical and surgical eye care. Following a ...
was founded. The Sree Chitra Thirunal Centre, the College of Pharmaceutical Sciences and the Priya Darshini Institute of Paramedical Sciences were established, and the Silver Jubilee Auditorium was built.


1981 to present

A specialty block, housing the college's medical and surgical specialties, became operational on 1 July 2010. The block was funded by the prime minister's Swasthya Suraksha Yojna scheme and by the Kerala government. The 253-bed, specialty block houses the outpatient clinics and inpatient wards of six specialties, eight operating theatres, six 29-bed intensive-care units and dialysis and kidney-transplant units. It is financed and administered by the Health and Family welfare Department of the government of Kerala. Although the college was initially affiliated with the
University of Kerala University of Kerala (formerly known as University of Travancore) is a state-run public university in Thiruvananthapuram, the state capital of Kerala, India. It was established in 1937 by a promulgation of the Maharajah of Travancore, Chithi ...
, since 2010 it has been affiliated with the
Kerala University of Health Sciences Kerala University of Health Sciences (KUHS) is a state university located in Thrissur, Kerala, India. It was established by the Kerala University of Health Sciences Act 2010, for ensuring proper and systematic instruction, teaching, training ...
.


Departments

The college began with departments of anatomy, physiology, biochemistry and bacteriology. Dr. C. O. Karunakaran was the first principal of the college. The departments were headed by V. Mathew, C. Vareed, Narayana Rao and C. O. Karunakaran, respectively. The department of bacteriology initially consisted of
microbiology Microbiology () is the branches of science, scientific study of microorganisms, those being of unicellular organism, unicellular (single-celled), multicellular organism, multicellular (consisting of complex cells), or non-cellular life, acellula ...
, pathology and hygiene. During the Asian flu epidemic, the department was in the forefront of isolating the influenza virus under R. Ananthanarayanan. In 1981, an AIDS surveillance center was established in the department. The Department of Community Medicine, established in 1953, was the first of its kind in India. A primary health centre for field training was established in July 1953 in Cheruvikkal, which was moved to Pangappara in 1964. Intern training was initially conducted at the Indo-Norwegian MCH unit in Neendakara. The department has a regional cell for the prevention of epidemic and infectious diseases. Forensic medicine which was part of community medicine, became a separate entity in 1966 under V. Kanthasamy. Medico-legal autopsies have been performed since 1955, and the department became a state medico-legal institute in 1986. The department of pharmacology later established an experimental pharmacology wing. The clinical departments of medicine and surgery and the college hospital were established in 1952. Students were initially trained at the general hospital in Thiruvananthapuram. A department of infectious diseases was established in 1983. R. Kesavan Nair, chief surgeon at the general hospital, was appointed professor of surgery and the department of surgery was established. Recognizing the importance of the new specialty of orthopedic surgery, the government of Travancore sent K. I. George of the health services department to the UK for advanced training. George joined the college in 1956, and founded Kerala's first department of orthopedics. The department of pediatrics, initially under general medicine, has the highest number of patients in Kerala. The obstetrics and gynecology department began in 1954 and was later added to the family-planning clinic contraception testing unit, the WHO training center and the infertility clinic. The department of physical medicine and rehabilitation, established in 1968, pioneered disability management and the treatment of occupational diseases in India. Specialty departments were established in 1965 with neurosurgery under M. Sambasivan, former president of the
World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies The World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies (WFNS), founded in 1955, in Switzerland, as a professional, scientific, non governmental organization, is composed of 130 member societies: consisting of 5 Continental Associations ( AANS, AASNS, C ...
. The department of cardiology was established in 1972, and nephrology in 1981. Medical and surgical
gastroenterology Gastroenterology (from the Greek gastḗr- "belly", -énteron "intestine", and -logía "study of") is the branch of medicine focused on the digestive system and its disorders. The digestive system consists of the gastrointestinal tract, sometime ...
units were established in 1972 and 1975, respectively.


Institutions and units


Medical college

In addition to an
MBBS A Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (; MBBS, also abbreviated as BM BS, MB ChB, MB BCh, or MB BChir) is a medical degree granted by medical schools or universities in countries that adhere to the United Kingdom's higher education tradi ...
programme, postgraduate degree and diploma courses in 22 specialties are offered.


Medical College Hospital

The Medical College Hospital provides comprehensive health care. It is the largest multi-specialty hospital in South Kerala, serving most of the Thiruvananthapuram and Kollam districts and adjacent districts in
Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is the southernmost States and union territories of India, state of India. The List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of Indi ...
. The hospital includes a main hospital block, trauma care and an outpatient department. The 1,950-bed hospital admits 80,000 patients a year and provides over 7,500,000 outpatient consultations. The outpatient block houses outpatient wings of medical and surgical specialties, a pharmacy and resident and graduate housing. The hospital averages 55 major and 125 minor operations and 35 vaginal deliveries and 15 caesarean sections per day. Bed occupancy is 90 to 95 percent throughout the year. The new multi-speciality block of medical college hospital will be inaugurated soon to provide better treatment facilities.


Regional Institute of Ophthalmology

About from the main campus, the Regional Institute of Ophthalmology is near the general hospital in Thiruvananthapuram. It originated as a government ophthalmic hospital in 1905, and was brought into the National Programme for Control of Blindness in 1995. The RIO is directed by Dr Sahasranamam V. Postgraduate courses in ophthalmology are offered, and a bachelor's-degree course in optometry is available with an annual intake of 20 students. A BSc. Optometry course began in 2010. RIO is India's second government institute offering a bachelor's degree in optometry. It hosts an optical outlet (in collaboration with HLL Life Care) and a dispensing facility. Specialized services including retina, paediatric ophthalmology, low vision, cornea and glaucoma clinics, an eye bank, tele-ophthalmology, a
uvea The uvea (; derived from meaning "grape"), also called the uveal layer, uveal coat, uveal tract, vascular tunic or vascular layer, is the pigmented middle layer of the three concentric layers that make up an eye, precisely between the inne ...
clinic, a dispensing lab and contact-lens and cataract clinics. Kerala's first mobile eye hospital, Sunayanam, operates from the RIO.


School of Optometry

The School of Optometry is on the RIO campus. A Bachelor of Science (Honours) degree in optometry is affiliated with Kerala University of Health Sciences. GMC Thiruvananthapuram is India's second government institute offering a four-year professional degree course in optometry; the first is
All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Delhi All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi (AIIMS New Delhi), is a public medical research university and hospital in New Delhi, India. The institute is governed by the AIIMS Act, 1956 and operates autonomously under the Ministry of He ...
.


Health units

The first health unit was established in
Neendakara Neendakara is a suburb of Kollam city in Kerala, India. The twin harbours, Neendakara and Shakthikulangara, are located here. Neendakara harbour is the largest fishing harbour in the state. Location Neendakara is north of Paravur and south ...
as an Indo-Norwegian collaboration. A primary health centre, founded in July 1953 in Cheruvikkal for field practice, was moved to Pangappara in 1964. Rural health centers for student and intern field practice are in Pangappara and
Vakkom Vakkom is an area of the Thiruvananthapuram Metropolitan Area near Kadakkavoor in the Thiruvananthapuram district of Kerala, India. It is 35 km north of Thiruvananthapuram, the state capital. Vakkom Panchayat is surrounded by backwaters (K ...
.


Sree Avittom Thirunal Hospital

The women's and children's hospital was dedicated in 1952. It was built by the Travancore royal family in memory of Prince Sree Avittom Thirunal, who died at age eight years of rheumatic heart disease. The hospital houses the departments of obstetrics and gynecology and pediatrics. The OB-GYN department administers the postpartum, family-welfare counseling, infertility,
trophoblast The trophoblast (from Greek language, Greek : to feed; and : germinator) is the outer layer of cells of the blastocyst. Trophoblasts are present four days after Human fertilization, fertilization in humans. They provide nutrients to the embryo an ...
ic, adolescent and vesicular-mole clinics and
WHO The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations which coordinates responses to international public health issues and emergencies. It is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, and has 6 regional offices and 15 ...
and
Indian Council of Medical Research The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), the apex body in India for the formulation, coordination and promotion of biomedical research, is one of the oldest and largest medical research bodies in the world. The ICMR is funded by the Gove ...
collaborative study centers. The hospital also provides pediatric care in cardiology, neurology, nephrology, genetics, surgery and psychiatry, and has one of Asia's highest delivery rates.


Specialty block

The specialty block, dedicated in 2011, houses the nephrology, urology, neurology, neurosurgery and medical and surgical gastroenterology departments and their out- and inpatient wings, and has 40 ICU beds, 25 high-care beds and six modular operating theaters. Cadaver organ retrieval and transplant began in 2012, making it the first government hospital to offer the service on a wide scale.


Biomedical engineering department

A team of
biomedical engineers Biomedicine (also referred to as Western medicine, mainstream medicine or conventional medicine)
and technicians is available at the hospital to maintain its equipment.


Child-development centre

The Child Development Centre was established by the government of Kerala for early-child and adolescent care and education, premarital counselling, women's welfare and related fields. It has contributed to reducing childhood disabilities and developed the Thiruvananthapuram Development Chart, used to assess child development in community settings.


Mental Health Center

The Mental Health Center in Oolampara is administered by the college. With more than 150 patients, it is India's second-largest mental health center. In addition to treatment facilities, a rehabilitation center has been established with the aid of
Hindustan Latex Limited HLL Lifecare Limited (formerly Hindustan Latex Limited) (HLL) is an Indian healthcare product manufacturing company based in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India. It is a Government of India -owned corporation (public-sector undertaking). Produc ...
.


Chest Diseases Hospital

The former government
tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB), also known colloquially as the "white death", or historically as consumption, is a contagious disease usually caused by ''Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can al ...
sanatorium A sanatorium (from Latin '' sānāre'' 'to heal'), also sanitarium or sanitorium, is a historic name for a specialised hospital for the treatment of specific diseases, related ailments, and convalescence. Sanatoriums are often in a health ...
in Pulayanarkottah is now part of the department of respiratory medicine, which is housed here (except for the outpatient department and intensive-care unit, which are at the college). The sanatorium has been renamed the Chest Diseases Hospital.


Dental college

Thiruvananthapuram Dental College was founded in 1959, one of four dental colleges in India's four southern states. M. Thangavelu, dean of the medical college, was instrumental in organizing the institution. A. M. Clement, a dental surgeon at the medical college, was appointed its first director. The college admits 50 students a year for its BDS course. Postgraduate courses began in 1966. The college has six departments under director N. O. Varghese.


College of Pharmaceutical Sciences

Established in 1967, Kerala's first pharmaceutical college offers bachelor's and master's degrees and a diploma in pharmaceutical sciences. The college includes departments of pharmacology, pharmaceutics,
pharmacognosy Pharmacognosy is the interdisciplinary scientific study of natural drugs and bioactive compounds from plants, animals, and minerals—originally focused on identifying crude drugs but now expanded to molecular, chemical, ecological, and medicin ...
, pharmaceutical chemistry and pharmaceutical microbiology. Other facilities are toxicology and animal labs, a drug-information center, morphine-tablet manufacturing and a medicinal


College of Nursing

The college, founded in 1972, is affiliated with the University of Kerala medical school. It has offered postgraduate programmes in nursing since 1987. The college has five areas of speciality training: mental-health nursing, medical-surgical nursing, pediatric nursing, obstetrical and gynaecological nursing and community-health nursing. Although the number of male students permitted to enroll in the school was originally restricted to 12.5 percent of applicants, the restriction has been removed. A specialised nursing wing opened in 2011.


Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PMR) Department

The PMR department is located about 100 metres from the medical college main gate on the Medical College junction - Kumarapuram road adjacent to medical college post office. The department offers both out patient (OP) and in patient (IP) rehabilitation. Neurological, Musculoskeletal and Rheumatological cases across pediatric to geriatric age groups form the bulk of cases attending here. The department offers comprehensive rehabilitation services including physiatry, rehab nursing, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, orthotics, prosthetics, social rehab etc. The department conducts specific clinics for cerebral palsy, sports injury, obesity, stroke and also weekly outreach clinic at Pangappara Medical College unit. Also it provides 3 year post graduation course in PMR (MD PMR) for qualified MBBS graduates. The rehabilitation team at the department consists of physiatrists, rehab nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, orthotists and prosthetists, social workers, rehab coordinator, engineers, office staff etc. It is headed by physiatrists who conduct the daily OP clinics and also attend to the ward patients as well as OP/IP consultations from other departments. Each patient is seen by the physiatrist who conducts a thorough clinical evaluation and focusses on the felt needs and functional status of the patient. The various ways in which the disease has affected the ability to do various activities and participate in social roles is noted. The rehab issues are identified and listed according to priority. Also, the general medical issues/co-morbidities and complications that have occurred as a result of the disease are analysed. Relevant blood and radiological investigations are sent for. The investigative facilities available at the department includes urodynamics, instrumented gait analysis, electrodiagnostics (nerve conduction study, electromyogram), musculoskeletal ultrasonography, pulmonary function tests etc. which are performed by the physiatrists as relevant to the case. Based on the assessment the physiatrist gets an idea about the disease process and potential for further recovery. The physiatrist draws up a rehabilitation program to address the felt needs of the patient and ultimately to improve the functional status to maximum possible extent. Appropriate rehab goals are set which may be immediate, short term and long term. The physiatrist uses medications, exercises, semi invasive interventions and surgeries to improve the quality of life of the patient. Also assistive technology prescriptions are given to the patient. This may be assistive aids, ambulatory aids (canes, crutches, walker), wheelchairs, orthotics, prosthetics etc. Also for the in-patients, the physiatrist looks after the general medical issues/co-morbidities like diabetes, hypertension as well as the specific complications encountered in rehabilitation period like pain, pressure sore, DVT, spasticity, contractures, nutritional issues (anemia, hypoproteinemia etc). Semi invasive interventions done here include prolotherapy with dextrose, platelet rich plasma (PRP), joint infiltration, spinal injection, nerve blocks, botulinum toxin injection, phenol chemodenervation etc. Plaster of Paris procedures like serial casting, total contact casting, splint preparation are done here.


Central Library

The library, housed in the administrative wing, contains books and academic journals relating to medicine and its allied sciences. Its Learning Resource Center (LRC), established by the college's alumni association, has internet-enabled computers for paid use and subscribes to online medical journals


Multidisciplinary Research Laboratory (MDRL) and Animal house

A state of the art platform for motivating medical fraternity and students in multidisciplinary research activities. The center consists of Multidisciplinary research unit (MRU- ICMR), Viral research and diagnostic lab(VRDL-ICMR), Physiology research lab and multichannel data acquisition system, Lecture halls and auditorium. Zebra fish research facility has the fully automated systems, the first installation in Kerala. COVID-19 diagnostic lab is currently functioning here.


Academics

Courses offered by the college are: * M.B.B.S. (annual intake 250 students) *
M.D. A Doctor of Medicine (abbreviated MD, from the Latin ) is a medical degree, the meaning of which varies between different jurisdictions. In the United States, and some other countries, the ''MD'' denotes a professional degree of physician. This ge ...
-
M.S. A Master of Science (; abbreviated MS, M.S., MSc, M.Sc., SM, S.M., ScM or Sc.M.) is a master's degree. In contrast to the Master of Arts degree, the Master of Science degree is typically granted for studies in sciences, engineering and medicine ...
(annual intake about 160 students in 23 disciplines) * D.M.- M.Ch. (18 seats in four and six disciplines, respectively) * BSc (Hons.) in
Optometry Optometry is the healthcare practice concerned with examining the eyes for visual defects, prescribing corrective lenses, and detecting eye abnormalities. In the United States and Canada, optometrists are those that hold a post-baccalaureate f ...
(annual intake 20 students) *
Bachelor of Pharmacy A Bachelor of Pharmacy (abbreviated BPharm or PharmB or BS Pharm) is a graduate academic degree in the field of pharmacy. In many countries, this degree is a prerequisite for registration to practice as a pharmacist. In most Western countries, ...
(annual intake 60 students) * BSc (Hons.) in
Nursing Nursing is a health care profession that "integrates the art and science of caring and focuses on the protection, promotion, and optimization of health and human functioning; prevention of illness and injury; facilitation of healing; and alle ...
(annual intake 60 students) * BSc (Hons.) in Medical Lab Technology (annual intake 28 students) * BSc in Perfusion Technology (annual intake four students) * BSc in Cardiovascular Technology (annual intake five students) * BSc in
Nursing Nursing is a health care profession that "integrates the art and science of caring and focuses on the protection, promotion, and optimization of health and human functioning; prevention of illness and injury; facilitation of healing; and alle ...
(post-certificate) * MSc in
Nursing Nursing is a health care profession that "integrates the art and science of caring and focuses on the protection, promotion, and optimization of health and human functioning; prevention of illness and injury; facilitation of healing; and alle ...
(annual intake 28 students) *
Master of Pharmacy The Master of Pharmacy is a postgraduate degree in pharmacy, awarded upon the completion of postgraduate coursework or an integrated undergraduate-postgraduate curriculum. Typically, this program lasts for four to five years. Australia In 2004 ...
(annual intake 26 students in Five branches) * Master of Science in Medical Laboratory Technology (annual intake 12 students) *
Master of Science A Master of Science (; abbreviated MS, M.S., MSc, M.Sc., SM, S.M., ScM or Sc.M.) is a master's degree. In contrast to the Master of Arts degree, the Master of Science degree is typically granted for studies in sciences, engineering and medici ...
in Medical Physics and Epidemiology (16 seats) * M.Phil in Clinical Epidemiology (10 seats) *CENTRAL STERILE SUPPLY TECHNOLOGY- DCSST (2 year diploma course under DME kerala (annual intake 5 students) * Diploma in Medical Laboratory Technology (40 seats in the college) * Diploma in Radiological Technology (10 seats in the college) * Diploma in Dialysis Technology (annual intake six students) * Diploma in General Nursing and Midwifery (annual intake 30 students) * Diploma in Clinical Child Development (annual intake 12 students) * Diploma in Pharmacy (20 seats in the college) * Dental Mechanics Certificate Course (annual intake six students) * Diploma in Operation Theatre and Anaesthesia Technology (annual intake 15 students) * Diploma in Endoscopy Technology (annual intake four students) * Diploma in
Neurotechnology Neurotechnology encompasses any method or electronic device which interfaces with the nervous system to monitor or modulate neural activity. Common design goals for neurotechnologies include using neural activity readings to control external devi ...
* Diploma in Optometry


Timeline

* 1905 Ophthalmic hospital opened * 1950 Medical-college foundation stone laid * 1951 First batch of
MBBS A Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (; MBBS, also abbreviated as BM BS, MB ChB, MB BCh, or MB BChir) is a medical degree granted by medical schools or universities in countries that adhere to the United Kingdom's higher education tradi ...
students admitted * 1952 Opening of SAT Hospital and men's hostel * 1954 Opening of 450-bed medical-college hospital * 1958 Cancer wing opened * 1959 Dental college opened with BDS course, first postgraduate course, nurses hostel * 1964 Artificial Limb Centre opened * 1967 B Pharm course, comprehensive rehabilitation research and training project began * 1970 Mental and ophthalmic hospitals join the college * 1972 BScN course, SCTMC, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation commissioned * 1973 New nursing-college wing * 1975 College of Pharmaceutical Sciences opened, foundation stone for the Regional Limb Fitting Centre laid * 1976 Teacher-training programme began * 1978 New Regional Limb Fitting Centre building * 1995 Clinical Epidemiology Resource and Training Center * 1996 Dr. C.O. Karunakaran Auditorium opened * 2002 Learning Resource Centre (LRC) * 2010 BSc Optometry course (India's second government optometry school) * 2011 Specialty and outpatient wings * 2011 MSc in Medical Laboratory Technology course, specializing in pathology, microbiology or biochemistry * 2012 First cadaver organ transplant in a Kerala government hospital * 2013 First test-tube baby in a South Indian government hospital * 2015 Skywalk connecting new outpatient and ward wings * 2018 New multispecialty block (MSB) with state of the art Trauma Care ICU, Geriatric Dept and Ward, Critical care ICU, Cardiology ICU


Achievements

The college follows the Kerala model of health care. The state has maintained health indices at par with developed nations, well above the national averages. This has been studied by a number of agencies for use in other states of India and developing nations. During the 1950s Asian flu pandemic, it was the principal institute to isolate and research the virus. It was ranked 21st in an ''
India Today ''India Today'' is a weekly Indian English-language news magazine published by Living Media, Living Media India Limited. It is the most widely circulated magazine in India, with a readership of close to 8 million. In 2014, ''India Today'' laun ...
'' survey. The college has a good clinical record, but has been lagging in research. In 2024, the college was ranked 42nd among medical college in India by
National Institutional Ranking Framework National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) is a ranking methodology released annually by the Ministry of Education, Government of India, to rank institutions of higher education in India. The framework was approved by the former Ministr ...
(NIRF). SAT Mix, developed by doctors and nutritionists at SAT Hospital, is used throughout India to manage childhood malnutrition and is a cost-effective measure to reduce infant mortality. The Thiruvananthapuram Development Chart, a scale to assess child development, was developed by the Child Development Center and is recommended for community developmental assessment. The college is one of 15 across India to be connected through the National Knowledge Commission's
National Knowledge Network National Knowledge Network (NKN) is a multi-gigabit national research and education network, whose purpose is to provide a unified high speed network backbone for educational and research institutions in India. The network is managed by the Nation ...
to integrate its knowledge base with the global scientific community.


Erudite Conclave

The college conducted an international Erudite Conclave, the region's first, in November 2011 to provide momentum to medical research. Speakers included Nobel laureate in medicine
Rolf M. Zinkernagel Rolf Martin Zinkernagel AC (born 6 January 1944) is a professor of experimental immunology at the University of Zurich. Along with Peter C. Doherty, he shared the 1996 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for the discovery of how t ...
, ophthalmologist and inventor of inexpensive
intraocular lens An intraocular lens (IOL) is a lens (optics), lens implanted in the human eye, eye usually as part of a treatment for cataracts or for correcting other vision problems such as myopia, near-sightedness (myopia) and farsightedness, far-sightednes ...
es
Sanduk Ruit Sanduk Ruit (; ) is an ophthalmologist from Nepal who was involved to restore the sight of over 180,000 people across Africa and Asia using small-incision cataract surgery. Ruit is the founder and the executive director of the Tilganga Institu ...
, and SRISTI and techpedia.in founder
Anil Kumar Gupta Anil Kumar Gupta is an Indian scholar in the area of grassroots innovations. He is the founder of the Honey Bee Network. He retired as a full-time professor at the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad in 2017, where he served for about 36 ...
. The second conclave, in 2012, was attended by R. Basant, Padmasree Dr. G. Vijayaraghavan, S. Murti (
Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Thiruvananthapuram Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Vithura, Thiruvananthapuram (IISER Thiruvananthapuram or IISER-TVM) is an autonomous public university located in Vithura, Kerala, India. The institute is one of the seven Indian Institutes of S ...
), R. V. G. Menon and former Indian ambassador T. P. Sreenivasan.


Student life and activities

The number of male and female students in the college is almost equal. In addition to Kerala, students from
Lakshadweep Lakshadweep () is a union territory of India. It is an archipelago of 36 islands divided into three island subgroups: the Amindivi Islands in the north, the Laccadive Islands (separated from Amindivi roughly by the 11th parallel north), and th ...
,
Northeast India Northeast India, officially the North Eastern Region (NER), is the easternmost region of India representing both a geographic and political Administrative divisions of India, administrative division of the country. It comprises eight States and ...
and other parts of the country are admitted by recommendation and under the All India quota. The college hosts exchange students from the
Karolinska Institute The Karolinska Institute (KI; ; sometimes known as the (Royal) Caroline Institute in English) is a research-led medical university in Solna within the Stockholm urban area of Sweden and one of the foremost medical research institutes globally ...
and other public-health and medical schools. Visitors have included
Alexander Fleming Sir Alexander Fleming (6 August 1881 – 11 March 1955) was a Scottish physician and microbiologist, best known for discovering the world's first broadly effective antibiotic substance, which he named penicillin. His discovery in 1928 of wha ...
, E. Lundsgaard,
Karl Evang Karl Evang (19 October 1902 – 3 January 1981) was a Norwegian physician and civil servant. He was born in Kristiania as a son of assisting secretary Jens Ingolf Evang (1873–1914) and Anna Beate Wexelsen (1875–1954). He was a brother of Vil ...
,
Julian Huxley Sir Julian Sorell Huxley (22 June 1887 – 14 February 1975) was an English evolutionary biologist, eugenicist and Internationalism (politics), internationalist. He was a proponent of natural selection, and a leading figure in the mid-twentiet ...
, Wharton Young, Jean Aicardi, David Morley and A. Lakshmana Swamy Mudaliar.


College union

The college union was dedicated in 1952 by
Alexander Fleming Sir Alexander Fleming (6 August 1881 – 11 March 1955) was a Scottish physician and microbiologist, best known for discovering the world's first broadly effective antibiotic substance, which he named penicillin. His discovery in 1928 of wha ...
. Since it is in the state capital, it has been politicized and depoliticized. In accordance with Lyngdoh Committee recommendations, each incoming class selects a representative to the student council, which in turn selects the union office-bearers.


Events

Athletic Association Day and the college-union inauguration are major campus events. The college has hosted the Kerala University Youth Festival and the Intermedicos Festival several times. Medex public exhibitions were organised in 1974 (as a part of the college's silver-jubilee celebration), 2000, 2001, 2012 and 2017. Annual cultural events (organised by the classes) and sports and games competitions are held on campus. Academic programs include the Erudite Conclave and the Student Medical Research Conference. Intermedicos Genesis 14 was held at the school on 2–8 December 2014. During the annual Interbatch Euphoria, students from different batches compete in the fields of arts, cultural activities, quizzes and sports.


Graduation

The medical, dental, optometry and nursing colleges organize separate graduation ceremonies. There are no separate graduation ceremonies after postgraduate courses.


Notable alumni and faculty

* C. O. Karunakaran, Special Officer and the first Principal of the Medical College, often referred to as the father of Medical College, Trivandrum. A Rockfeller Foundation Scholarship recipient, he developed smallpox and rabies vaccine indigenously in the Public Health Laboratory of Thiruvananthapuram. * R. Kesavan Nair, Kerala's first civil surgeon and
FRCS Fellowship of the Royal Colleges of Surgeons (FRCS) is a professional certification, professional qualification to practise as a senior surgeon in Republic of Ireland, Ireland or the United Kingdom. It is bestowed on an wikt:intercollegiate, ...
, one of the founding fathers of Thiruvananthapuram Medical College, was also its first Superintendent. * K. V. Krishna Das, Best outgoing student of first batch with four gold medals, former Director & Professor of Medicine, Chief-Editor of many textbooks and a farmer & philanthropist. A recipient of the lifetime achievement awards of Government of Kerala, Association of Physicians of India and Indian Society of Hematology & Blood Transfusion. Served as Member Governing Board AIIMS, Overseas Counselor Royal College of Physicians UK and Council Member NAMS. Research areas include iron-deficiency Anemia, neoplasms of blood and infectious diseases. One among the expert committee which published public health policy and drug formulary of Kerala. Five of his students have been honored with Padma Shri. * M. S. Valiathan, former director of
Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST), formerly Sree Chitra Tirunal Medical Center, is an Institution of National Importance in India established in 1976 at Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. The institute is a sta ...
and vice-chancellor of Manipal University in Karnataka. A recipient of the
Padma Bhushan The Padma Bhushan (IAST: ''Padma Bhūṣaṇa'', lit. 'Lotus Decoration') is the third-highest civilian award in the Republic of India, preceded by the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan and followed by the Padma Shri. Instituted on 2 Januar ...
and the Indian National Science Academy's Shree Dhanwantari Prize, the cardio-thoracic surgeon has published a number of papers on
endomyocardial fibrosis Hypereosinophilic syndrome is a disease characterized by a persistently elevated eosinophil count (≥ 1500 eosinophils/mm³) in the blood for at least six months without any recognizable cause, with involvement of either the heart, nervous sys ...
. *
Axel Höjer Johan Axel Höjer (12 August – 22 April 1974) was a Swedish physician and public servant. Career Höjer was born on 12 August 1890 in Visby, Sweden, the son of Professor Nils Höjer and Emmy Höjer. He began to study medicine at the Karolinska ...
, the college's second dean, was a Swedish physician from the
Karolinska Institute The Karolinska Institute (KI; ; sometimes known as the (Royal) Caroline Institute in English) is a research-led medical university in Solna within the Stockholm urban area of Sweden and one of the foremost medical research institutes globally ...
and director-general of the Swedish Medical Board. He revolutionised community medicine in Europe with education on maternal assistance, infant disease control and sexual-hygiene courses. *
Jimmy George Jimmy George (8 March 1955 – 30 November 1987) was an Indian volleyball player and captain of the Indian national volleyball team. Often dubbed the God of Indian volleyball, he is considered as one of the greatest volleyball players of all ti ...
, Indian volleyball player and a medical student, helped the University of Kerala win the Inter-University Championships from 1973 to 1976. George later joined the Kerala Police. * A. Marthanda Pillai, former H.O.D of the Department of Neurosurgery, recipient of
Padma Shri The Padma Shri (IAST: ''padma śrī'', lit. 'Lotus Honour'), also spelled Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest Indian honours system, civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. In ...
in 2011 and founder, managing director of Ananthapuri Hospitals and Research Institute. * M. Krishnan Nair, oncologist and founding member of the Regional Cancer Centre, Thiruvananthapuram, is the only Indian member of the
World Health Organization The World Health Organization (WHO) is a list of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations which coordinates responses to international public health issues and emergencies. It is headquartered in Gen ...
's Advisory Committee of the Director General and Cancer Technical Group (CTG). *
P. K. R. Warrier Pulakkat Krishna Raghava Warrier FRCS (13 August 1921 – 26 March 2011) was an Indian Cardiothoracic surgeon, author and social activist from Kerala. Early life P. K. R. Warrier was born on 13 August 1921 to ''Rao Bahadur'' Dr. Pulakkat Krish ...
, Cardio-thoracic surgeon established the college's department of cardio-thoracic surgery in 1964. * M. R. Rajagopal, a palliative care physician and founder chairman of Pallium India, is a recipient of
Padma Shree The Padma Shri (IAST: ''padma śrī'', lit. 'Lotus Honour'), also spelled Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest Indian honours system, civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. In ...
and is regarded as the father of palliative care in India. * G. Vijayaraghavan, Cardiologist recipient of the
Padma Shri The Padma Shri (IAST: ''padma śrī'', lit. 'Lotus Honour'), also spelled Padma Shree, is the fourth-highest Indian honours system, civilian award of the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna, the Padma Vibhushan and the Padma Bhushan. In ...
, is the founding director of the Kerala Institute of Medical Sciences and popularized 2D echocardiography in India during the 1980s. * B. Ekbal, former Vice Chancellor, University of Kerala (2000–2004) * Benjamin Pulimood, Gastroenterology pioneer who is the former director of Christian Medical College, Vellore, and has represented Kerala in
Santosh Trophy The National Football Championship for Santosh Trophy, or simply Santosh Trophy, is an inter-state national football competition contested by the state associations and government institutions under the All India Football Federation (AIFF), th ...
competition. *
K. S. Manoj Kurisinkal Sebastian Manoj (born 19 April 1965) is an Indian politician and physician. He hails from Kerala and was a Member of Parliament for the 14th Lok Sabha, representing Alappuzha Lok Sabha constituency as a Communist Party of India ( ...
, member of the
Lok Sabha The Lok Sabha, also known as the House of the People, is the lower house of Parliament of India which is Bicameralism, bicameral, where the upper house is Rajya Sabha. Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha, Members of the Lok Sabha are elected by a ...
from
Alappuzha Alappuzha (, आलप्पुळ) or Alleppey is a municipality and town on the Laccadive Sea in the southern Indian state of Kerala. It is the district headquarters of the district, and is located about north of the state capital Thiruvana ...
. * K. N. Raghavan, Former international cricket umpire and former First Secretary of the Indian High Commission at Singapore, is a civil servant at the Indian Revenue Service. * M. Subhadra Nair, Former head of the college's department of obstetrics and gynecology who received the Padma Shri in 2014. * Mohammed Illias Sahadulla is the founding chairman and managing director of KIMS Healthcare Management and a developer of healthcare facilities in Kerala. *
Sajeev Koshy Sajeev Koshy (6 May 1956 – 21 February 2023) was an Indian-born specialist endodontist residing in Australia. He was a public dentist, clinical director and a social advocate. He was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in 2016 ...
, Specialist Endodontist and recipient of the Australian Honours in 2016 and former Federal Secretary of Australian and New Zealand Academy of Endodontists. * Sheila Balakrishnan, an author of several textbooks in Obstetrics and Gynaecology is currently a faculty here and heads the Infertility clinic. * Sriram Venkitaraman, IAS


Controversy

On June 15, 2024, a 59-year-old man named Ravindran Nair was rescued after being trapped for two days in a lift at the Government Medical College Hospital in Thiruvananthapuram. He had entered the lift for a medical check-up and got stuck when it malfunctioned. Despite pressing the alarm and trying emergency numbers, no one responded until a lift operator discovered him during routine work on Monday. Following the incident, three hospital staff members were suspended for their lapses.


See also

*
List of medical colleges in India India's medical schools are usually called medical colleges. Medical school quality is controlled by the central regulatory authority, the National Medical Commission, which inspects the institutes from time to time and recognizes institute ...
*
Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research The Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER) is a medical school located in Pondicherry, India. JIPMER is an Institute of National Importance (INI) and a tertiary care referral hospital. It is under the dire ...
*
Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) is a public medical university in Chandigarh, India. It is an 'Institute of National Importance'. It has educational, medical research, and training facilities for its studen ...
* Government T D Medical College, Alappuzha *
Christian Medical College & Hospital Christian Medical College, Vellore, widely known as CMC, Vellore, is a private, Christian minority community-run medical college and hospital in Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India. This institute includes a network of primary, secondary and tertiary c ...
* Government Medical College, Thrissur


References


External links


Official website

Government Dental College

New Indian Express story
* https://www.deccanchronicle.com/nation/current-affairs/260519/neurosurgery-genesis.html {{Authority control 1951 establishments in India
Thiruvananthapuram Thiruvananthapuram ( ), also known as Trivandrum, is the Capital city, capital city of the Indian state of Kerala. As of 2011, the Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation had a population of 957,730 over an area of 214.86 sq. km, making it the ...
Universities and colleges established in 1951 Hospitals established in 1951 Hospitals in Thiruvananthapuram Medical colleges in Thiruvananthapuram