History of Medical Education in Calicut

According to Prof. Emeritus M.G. Sahadevan, F.R.C.P. (London), the first medical college of Kerala was started at Calicut, in 1942-43, during World War II. Due to shortage of doctors to serve the military, the British Government decided to open a branch of Madras Medical College in Malabar, which was under Madras Presidency then. The Medical School was started close to the then district hospital at Kottaparamba ( now Women and Children's Hospital). The war was over before the medical students completed their course. After the war, the medical school at Calicut was closed and the students continued their studies at Madras Medical College. Captain A.B. Das (late), a veteran doctor who practised in Calicut, belonged to that batch. Nothing much is known about other students who might have served in British military. Until recently the building which housed the medical school was the R.D.O. office. The building next to that is the public health laboratory even now and the buildings beyond those are the doctor's quarters of W & C Hospital even now.