From March 1st, over 1,000 post-graduate medical students in Kerala will embark on their mandatory residency program at various government hospitals, following guidelines set forth by the National Medical Commission. The primary objective of this rural service is to provide an opportunity for PG students to gain a comprehensive understanding of the functioning of district-level hospitals while addressing the scarcity of medical professionals in these facilities.

The services of 1,382 medicos will be available in hospitals, four batches each of three-month periods in 78 hospitals including Taluk-level facilities with more than 100 beds. 854 medicos are from government medical colleges, 430 from private medical colleges and 98 from Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Kochi. The second-year PG medical students from Regional Cancer Centre, 9 government medical colleges and 19 private medical colleges are among the 1,382.PG doctors are appointed from medical colleges of respective districts. Doctors will be deployed from other districts in districts that do not have medical colleges.

Besides, Taluk, District and General Hospitals, the medicos will offer their services at government mental health centres, mother & child hospitals, TB centres and public health laboratories. This program aims to enhance Kerala's healthcare system by offering students valuable hands-on experience while also addressing the shortage of medical professionals in rural areas.