KOZHIKODE: In the dim, overcrowded corridors of the old block at the Kozhikode Government Medical College Hospital (MCH), one of Kerala’s largest and most reputed public health institutions, pain and exhaustion have become routine. The smell of antiseptic mixes with the stifling heat of human suffering as patients lie side by side on thin mats, clutching their saline bottles hung from iron window grills and door handles.
Even the verandas have turned into makeshift wards. Glucose drips dangle from nails on the walls. Nurses crouch on the floor to insert IV lines, while resident doctors move from one patient to another, bending down to check blood pressure or oxygen levels.
“This is not how medicine should be practised,” said a senior physician, shaking his head. “It breaks our hearts to see patients lying on the floor, but we have nowhere to put them.”
The old block is the worst affected. “The wards are bursting at the seams,” said a senior resident in the medicine department.
“We examine more than 500 patients daily. There are moments when two or three patients share one bed, and when even that’s impossible, they lie on the verandah. Sometimes, even that space runs out.”
Inside Ward 9, a 58-year-old from Malappuram lies near the door, his saline bottle tied to a piece of rope hanging from a window latch.
“We came here because we can’t afford private hospitals,” he said weakly.
“But here, we are surviving, not healing. The mosquitoes don’t let us sleep. Still, where else can we go?”
In another corner, Sujatha (name changed) wipes her daughter’s forehead with a damp cloth.
“Yesterday, she had a bed, today she’s back on the floor. We keep moving from bed to floor, from one ward to another. It’s humiliating and painful, but what choice do we have,” she said.
Doctors, visibly exhausted, try their best to cope. “We are treating over 300 outpatients a day, and in some cases, close to 1,000, not counting emergency cases,” said a senior resident who requested anonymity.
“There simply isn’t enough staff or space. Sometimes, we have to check patients sitting on the floor because there’s no place to even stand.”
The hospital, which caters to patients from five northern districts, has long been plagued by severe staff shortages. Out of 393 sanctioned doctor posts, 61 remain vacant. In the medicine department alone, five assistant professor posts and three senior resident positions are unfilled. Nurses too are stretched beyond limits, caring for up to 50 patients each, a ratio compared to the ideal 1:4 standard. Health activists say the situation exposes deep cracks in the state’s public health claims.“The government keeps boasting about Kerala’s healthcare model,” said social activist N P Pramod.
“But when patients are lying on the floor of a medical college hospital in 2025, it’s clear the system is collapsing from neglect.”
The Kerala State Human Rights Commission (KSHRC) has repeatedly questioned the authorities for inhumane conditions, yet little has changed.
“We issued directives months ago,” said a commission official. “But the ground reality remains the same -- overcrowding, lack of beds, staff shortage, and patients suffering in silence.”
Hospital officials admit to challenges
“The shortage worsened after the 2019 batch of house surgeons completed their term,” said a senior hospital administrator.
“We are in the process of appointing non-academic junior residents to fill the gap, but only a few have joined so far.”
Recent mishaps have added to the chaos. A few months ago, a fire in the MRI unit’s UPS room and another in an operating theatre forced temporary evacuation of patients. They were crammed into older wards, adding to the overcrowding.
“For nearly three months, we shared space with double the number of patients,” said a nurse.
“Even basic care became impossible.” Now, at least the Super Speciality block of the MCH looks pretty decent with patients being treated as humans, said a bystander there.
Recently, members of the Kerala NGO Union, Government Nurses’ Association, and the Government Officers’ Association formed a human chain around the campus, protesting what they called an “attempt to weaken the public health sector”.
Crisis inside MCH
Overcrowded wards
Patients lying side by side on floors and verandas
Saline bottles tied to window grills and wall nails
Up to 3 patients sharing one bed in some wards