The long-standing demand of the people of the district for a government medical college has remained unfulfilled. It looks like the medical college announced by the State government, last year, will elude the district this year too.

The State government, last week, gave its nod for the process of starting government medical college at Chamarajanagar, Kodagu and Karwar. But it has remained mum on starting medical college in the district. So, the college will not become functional this year.
The government has announced medical college for the district last year and has made budgetary allocation for the same. But the process to start the college is yet to begin for some reasons.

Augment health service
A government medical college in the district, which has 10 taluks, will not just benefit the medical students here, apart from generating direct and indirect jobs to hundreds, it will also augment health care service. Once the college become functional, the people from rural areas in the district will have access to multi-specialty care, treatment at reasonable costs.

 A staggering Rs 800 crore needed to start a full-fledged government medical college. And the process to start a college requires construction of multiple buildings and recruitment of teaching staff, doctors, paramedic staff and Group-D staff. It takes at least two to three years to complete the process.

In Tumakuru case, the government has announced medical college and has made budgetary allocation for the same. But nobody really knows what is stopping the government from initiating the process.

For now, the people of Kalpataru Nadu have to wait for at least couple of years, if not more, to see their demand for medical college turn into
a reality.