Mangaluru, July 22: The proposed Government Medical College and Hospital in Puttur is expected to become one of the biggest public sector investments in Coastal Karnataka, promising a significant boost to healthcare services while creating nearly 10,000 direct and indirect employment opportunities over the coming years.

The project, coming up on around 40 acres at Bannur in Sediyapu village, will be the first state-run medical college in the coastal region. Once operational, it is expected to improve access to affordable tertiary healthcare and reduce dependence on private medical institutions for specialised treatment.

The medical college is being developed in multiple phases. The first phase includes the construction of a five-storey, 300-bed teaching hospital, for which the state government has already granted administrative and financial approval. The academic block, student hostels and other institutional infrastructure are expected to follow in subsequent phases.

The institution is expected to admit its first batch of 100 MBBS students by 2028. Expansion plans include an increase in MBBS intake, postgraduate medical courses and dedicated institutions for nursing, physiotherapy, dentistry, allied health sciences and Ayurveda, making the campus a comprehensive healthcare and medical education hub.

Beyond strengthening healthcare infrastructure, the project is expected to generate employment on a large scale. According to Puttur MLA Ashok Kumar Rai, nearly 10,000 direct and indirect jobs are likely to be created once the institution becomes fully operational.

Employment opportunities are expected to span a wide range of sectors, including medical education, healthcare delivery and hospital administration. The institution will require doctors, specialists, teaching faculty, resident medical officers, nurses, pharmacists, laboratory technicians, radiographers, physiotherapists, biomedical engineers, IT professionals and administrative personnel.

The project’s economic impact is also expected to extend beyond the campus. Increased demand for transport, housing, food services, retail, security, maintenance and other support services is likely to generate thousands of indirect employment opportunities for local residents and businesses.

The proposed medical college is expected to serve not only Dakshina Kannada district but also neighbouring regions, reducing the need for patients to travel long distances for advanced treatment while expanding opportunities for medical education and skilled employment in Coastal Karnataka.

With healthcare, education and employment converging in a single integrated campus, the proposed Government Medical College in Puttur is expected to emerge as one of the region’s most significant public infrastructure projects in the coming years.