Wayanad medical college hospital: Small steps of progress being made, says Priyanka Gandhi

Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra addresses progress at Government Medical College Hospital in Wayanad and other key issues.

Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has said that small steps of progress are being made with regard to the development of the Government Medical College Hospital in Wayanad.

Addressing booth-level workers of the United Democratic Front (UDF) at Vellamunda near Mananthavady in the district on Saturday (February 8, 2025), the Wayanad MP said that the medical college “is a big issue” they were going to fight for. “Some small steps of progress are being made slowly. We need to push and pressurise the government so that the developments take place faster,” she said.

Ms. Vadra said that tourism in Wayanad had suffered after the tragic landslides at Mundakkai-Chooralmala and there was a need to work on it. “Many months have passed since the tragic landslide over here, yet people are still suffering. They still don’t have the full housing that they should have, the compensation that they should have. Because of our efforts in and outside Parliament, at least it was declared a disaster of severe nature. Hopefully, more funds will come,” she said.

Describing the night traffic ban on the national highway connecting Waynad and the Bandipur Tiger Reserve in Karnataka as “a complicated and complex issue”, she said that discussions had been initiated with various stakeholders. About the man-animal conflict, Ms. Vadra said that three people had been killed by elephants in the past one-and-a-half months alone. “Recently, I was here to visit the family of a woman who was killed in a tiger attack... Man-animal conflict is a big issue in terms of livelihood and human rights. The district authorities are saying they need more funds to address the issue,” she pointed out.

Ms. Vadra arrived at the Kannur International Airport earlier in the morning and travelled to Wayanad by road. Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee president K. Sudhakaran was present. She told mediapersons that she had not checked the Delhi Assembly election results as yet. Ms. Vadra is expected to meet UDF workers at Sulthan Bathery and Kalpetta later in the day.

Later in the evening, Ms. Vadra is also expected to visit the Lourde Matha Church at Pallikkunnu, Kaniyambatta.