Kerala Health Minister Announces 24‑Hour Care in All Government Hospitals

At a modest ceremony in Kozhikode on September 5, 2026, the Kerala Health Minister K. Muraleedharan cut the ribbon on a fresh wing for the School of Family Health Studies, a unit of the Kerala University of Health Sciences (KUHS) housed within the Government Medical College campus.

He used the occasion to stress a simple, but ambitious, promise: no Keralite should have to leave the state for basic medical care. "We are working so that every general hospital run by the government stays open all day, every day," he said, his voice occasionally pausing as if letting the weight of the statement sink in.

Muraleedharan went on to outline a trio of parallel tracks the government is pursuing. First, a second government medical college is slated for Thiruvananthapuram, a move he described as “long overdue”. Second, the existing medical colleges that were inaugurated during the previous United Democratic Front regime will see “significant upgrades” – think better labs, more teaching staff, and improved infrastructure.

Third, and perhaps most immediately tangible, is the drive to plug the chronic shortage of doctors in state hospitals. The minister announced that fresh appointments are underway for physicians, nurses and auxiliary staff, all geared toward delivering round‑the‑clock services in every government general hospital across Kerala.

Among the attendees were K. Jayanth, MLA; Mohanan Kunnummal, Vice‑Chancellor of KUHS; and C. P. Vijayan, Pro‑Vice‑Chancellor, all of whom nodded in agreement and offered brief comments supporting the minister’s vision.

While the announcements sound promising, critics point out that staffing and infrastructure gaps have persisted for years. Muraleedharan, however, seemed confident that the current recruitment drive and the new educational facilities would finally bridge the divide.

In the meantime, students of the newly‑opened School of Family Health Studies will have a modern campus to learn in, and patients across the state can look forward to an era where “the doors never close” becomes more than just a slogan.