Kerala govt. seeks Centre’s permission to use forest land for Wayanad MCH expansion

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Shafi Parambil, Vadakara MP, offering a flower to Health Minister K. Muraleedharan at the Kayakalpam public outreach initiative in Kozhikode on June 9. | Photo Credit: K. Ragesh

Health Minister K. Muraleedharan has said that the State government has sought the Centre’s permission to hand over 28 acres of revenue land to the Forest department in return for a similar parcel of land for the development of the Government Medical College Hospital (MCH) at Mananthavady in Wayanad.

He was here on Tuesday (June 9) to open the State-level launch of ‘Kayakalpam’, an outreach initiative to gather public opinion on the deficiencies in the health system and patient care services. It is also aimed at seeking suggestions related to improving health service delivery.

Mr. Muraleedharan said that the Wayanad MCH needed over 28 acres of forest land for its expansion. “However, the Forest department needs a parcel of land of equal size in return. We have now sought the Union government’s permission to do so,” he said.

Mr. Muraleedharan claimed that the government was planning to use corporate social responsibility funds for the development works in public hospitals. However, some people had attempted to portray this effort as the privatisation of government hospitals, which was factually incorrect.

He pointed out that the outgoing government had left behind crores of rupees as dues. “Till March 31, 2026, the government has to give ₹2,017 crore to hospitals for the insurance claims under the Karunya Arogya Suraksha Padhathi (KASP). Kerala Medical Services Corporation Ltd. has to be given ₹476 crore. Distributors of surgical devices have stopped their supply after their dues crossed ₹150 crore. This is even affecting surgeries to save those suffering from life-threatening diseases,” he said.

Mr. Muraleedharan claimed that because of this situation, many private hospitals had either stopped accepting claims under insurance schemes such as KASP or Medisep or were discouraging such admission. The M