The History GDC Kottayam

Ever since the inception of Government Medical College, Kottayam nearly 40 years back, a dental department was attached to it. It was re-designated as the Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery in 1992. The idea of starting a new Dental College at Kottayam was conceived and initiated by veterans like Dr. P Chandramohan, the then Superintendant of Medical College hospital, Dr. B Iqbal, Planning Board Member, Sri VN Vasavan, District Secretariat Member, CPI(M) and Dr. George Varghese, HOD of Oral & Maxillofacial department. Later Dr. George Varghese was appointed as the Special Officer. He is the visionary behind creating a brambly hill into the present appealing institution.

The proposal for establishing a Dental College in the Govt. sector at Kottayam was included in the 2000 Kerala Budget. Administrative Sanction was issued in August 2000. In November 2001, an area of 10 acres of land from the Medical College Campus with the old buildings there in (16,000 sq ft) was allotted for starting the Dental College. Dr. KT Sreelatha took charge as the first Principal of the new Dental College in 09-11-2001 and the institute was affiliated to Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam.

The 1st batch of BDS students were admitted on 06.09.2002 (with an annual intake of 40 students) The College was formally inaugurated on 01.10.2002. The new building (Academic ‘A’ block) with an area of 29700 Sq. Ft. (costing Rs.141 Lakhs) was inaugurated on 14.12.2004.

The first batch of students passed out in April 2007 with 100 % pass. Students from this college secured both the FIRST and SECOND ranks in the University Exams. Permanent recognition for BDS course was obtained from the Central Government and the Dental Council of India in 2007. The 2nd batch BDS students passed out in Oct 2008 with 100 % pass. Altogether 13 batches of BDS students have passed out from this institution after completing House Surgency.

Ladies Hostel was commissioned in July 31st 2009. Men’s Hostel was commissioned in December 2011. PG (MDS) Courses in 2 subjects, viz. OMFS and Prosthodontics, started in the year 2009. The Kerala University of Health Sciences took over all the allied health sciences from 2010 onwards and ever since, this institute is attached to KUHS, Thrissur. Other MDS courses viz. Conservative Dentistry and Periodontics started in the year 2011 and Orthodontics and Oral Pathology in 2012. The institution entered into its decennial year in 2012. A 32 seater bus was purchased for use of students in March 2012. Mobile Dental Clinic started functioning in April 2013.

The Academic [B] block under NABARD assistance for Rs 8.85 crores was commissioned on September 2015. Hostel for Residents (Rs.382 Lakhs) and Ladies Hostel Annex for Rs 228.5 Lakhs was inaugurated on 18th August 2017. The first PHD postgraduate seats in the Kerala sector were filled in 2017. Administrative cum Research block for Rs 15 crores, Type IV Staff Quarters with 5 two-bedroom family apartments and 5 bath attached single rooms (Rs 3.5 Crores), renovated internal roads of BMBC standards for Rs 2crores, Seminar Hall and Records Room (Rs 40L), a water sump for the institution (Rs 20L), a second incinerator of higher capacity for Rs 7 lakhs, the new extension clinic at Ettumanoor PHC centre for the Public Health Dentistry department (Rs 5L) and toilets for females and physically handicapped were inaugurated on July 23rd of 2019.

The Administrative and Research Block construction work for Rs 15 Crores is underway and another block for Public Health Dentistry for Rs 3 crores is also in the process of construction.

Now the Government Dental College is extending its services to around 50000 patients annually in and around five districts namely- Kottayam, Ernakulum, Idukki, Alappuzha, Pathanamthitta). We have all the latest equipment’s and a state –of – the –art infrastructure in a scenic campus full of greenery and flowers. We proudly own a butterfly garden and a garden for medicinal herbs – a place for relaxing, understanding our mother nature with its wealth of colours and herbarium. We have a sanctioned teaching staff strength of about 66. Ministerial staff and other ancillary staff of around 74 to support the smooth functioning of the institute. All the nine specialties in dentistry are full-fledged.

Apart from several outreach programmes like ‘Mandahasam’ project( free dentures for the elderly BPL patients sponsored by the State Government), Dental Camps, ‘Sparsam’ project for Special Care Children, Ante-natal Clinic at OB&G of ICH, Tobacco Cessation Clinic, Palliative Home Dental Care, ‘Kaliveedu’ for our pediatric patients, Pedodontic Dental Care unit at Autism Centre of Institute of Child Health, Govt. Medical College, Kottayam; Comprehensive Pedodontics Surgical Dental Care under General Anaesthesia at OT of Medical College Hospital, extension clinics at two different Primary Health Centres namely Kudalloor and Ettumanoor and a fully equipped mobile dental van are offering services to different sectors of the population – from Antenatal to Geriatric.