Medical college at Mayiladuthurai: Notice issued to Centre, State

Owing to the absence of the portfolio bench, a division bench comprising Justice R Subbiah and Justice R Pongiappan before whom the plea came up for hearing on Wednesday ordered notice returnable in a week.

Jega Veerapandian submitted in his plea that as per the scheme mooted by the Centre to reduce shortage of doctors, it has decided to start 75 medical colleges.

Tamil Nadu has been granted sanction for setting up medical colleges at Thiruppur, Namakkal, the Nilgiris, Ramanathapuram, Dindigul, Virudhunagar, Krishnagiri, Thiruvallur and Nagapattinam.

Based on this, the Nagapattinam district administration has decided to set up the medical college at Orathur in Nagapattinam taluk and the district collector has ordered the sanction of 21.66 acres for the purpose. But it is important that the medical college is set up at Mayiladuthurai, which is a backward place in the district and desperately needs such a facility, he said.

Moreover, from Nagapattinam taluk, medical colleges are located just 20 km away at Thiruvarur and Karaikal, whereas from Mayiladuthurai, medical colleges are at least 70 km away.

It may be noted that a similar petition moved by another former MLA P Kalayanam is pending before the portfolio bench comprising Justice M Sathyanarayanan and Justice R Hemalatha.

Kalayanam had submitted that if the said Government Medical College and Hospital is located at Mayiladuthurai, it would be in proximity to Cuddalore district as well as Thanjavur district and benefit more people.

But the government without considering the topography and other circumstances, decided to establish the medical college at Orathur, he stated while noting that his representation on October 24 had failed to evoke any response.