Key facts
- India's first Covid-19 case was confirmed in Thrissur, Kerala, on 30 January 2020 (Wikipedia).
- Reports on 23 March 2020 said the Kalamassery medical college campus was being converted into a Covid treatment centre, with only the emergency OP and dialysis continuing for other patients (Medical Dialogues).
- Kerala's first Covid-19 death, a 69-year-old man from Chullikal in Kochi who had been in the Kalamassery medical college isolation ward since 22 March, was reported on 28 March 2020 (Onmanorama).
- The hospital's RT-PCR testing lab began functioning after ICMR approval in April 2020 (Wikipedia).
- Kerala announced a second statewide lockdown from 8 May 2021, after reporting 43,529 new cases on 12 May; restrictions eased in tiers after 16 June 2021 (Wikipedia).
The hospital before the pandemic
Government Medical College, Ernakulam began in 1999 as Cochin Medical College, set up by the Co-operative Academy of Professional Education. It moved to its present campus on former HMT estate land at Kalamassery in 2004 and was taken over by the Government of Kerala on 11 December 2013, according to Wikipedia. By 2020 it was the main government teaching hospital on the northern side of Kochi, about 1.5 km south of the NAD Road signal on OpenStreetMap. Its fuller story is in our Medical College history; for directions today, see how to reach the Medical College.
Timeline
| Date | What happened | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 30 January 2020 | India's first Covid-19 case confirmed in Thrissur, Kerala | Wikipedia |
| 8 March 2020 | Kerala declares high alert; isolation wards set up in 21 major hospitals | Wikipedia |
| 22 March 2020 | A 69-year-old man from Chullikal is admitted to the Kalamassery isolation ward after testing positive | Onmanorama |
| 23 March 2020 | Statewide lockdown announced; Kalamassery campus to become a Covid treatment centre | Wikipedia; Medical Dialogues |
| 28 March 2020 | Kerala's first Covid death, at the Kalamassery medical college hospital | Onmanorama |
| April 2020 | RT-PCR lab at the hospital begins functioning after ICMR approval | Wikipedia |
| 2 May 2020 | Ernakulam listed as a green zone after 21 days without new cases | Wikipedia |
| April 2021 | State says Kalamassery Medical College will again become a full Covid hospital | Kerala Kaumudi |
| 8 May–16 June 2021 | Second statewide lockdown, extended several times | Wikipedia |
| 7 September 2021 | Sunday lockdown and night restrictions withdrawn | Wikipedia |
| January 2022 | Partial night restrictions during the Omicron rise | Wikipedia |
March 2020: becoming a Covid hospital
Kerala reported India's first Covid-19 case on 30 January 2020, a student returned from Wuhan, and the state declared high alert on 8 March, with 40-bed isolation wards in 21 major hospitals. By then the Kalamassery medical college was already running isolation wards; Medical Dialogues reported that the district had 23 people in isolation wards and 3,961 under home surveillance. On 23 March, the day Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan announced a statewide lockdown, reports said the campus would be turned into a full coronavirus treatment centre, with only the emergency outpatient wing and the dialysis unit continuing for others. Wikipedia dates the conversion to the last week of March 2020.
On 28 March 2020 Kerala recorded its first Covid-19 death, 58 days after its first case. Onmanorama reported that the patient, a 69-year-old man from Chullikal in Kochi, had returned from Dubai on 16 March, tested positive on 22 March and had been in the isolation ward of the Kalamassery medical college since then. Reports differed slightly on when he was put on a ventilator. We do not name him here.
2020: testing, treatment and a robot
The hospital set up a real-time RT-PCR laboratory early in the pandemic, which began work after approval from the Indian Council of Medical Research in April 2020, so samples no longer had to be sent away for every test. Wikipedia notes that treatment at the hospital drew international praise when a UK citizen was discharged after recovering. A robot called KARMI-Bot, built by Asimov Robotics and donated by the actor Mohanlal, was used in the isolation ward to deliver food and water, disinfect and collect waste, and allow video calls.
By 2 May 2020 Ernakulam had gone 21 days without a new case and was listed as a green zone. That did not last: cases rose again from mid-May as people returned from abroad and other states, and a further surge followed Onam in late 2020, with Ernakulam among the districts reporting high numbers in October.
2021: the second wave and vaccination
In April 2021, with cases rising again, the state said the Kalamassery Medical College would once more become a complete Covid hospital, Kerala Kaumudi reported. Statewide, active cases climbed from 31,493 on 7 April to over 4.38 lakh on 14 May, and Kerala reported 43,529 new cases on 12 May 2021, its highest single day. A second statewide lockdown ran from 8 May, extended to 30 May, 9 June and 16 June, after which restrictions were set by local test positivity rates and later by ward-level case density.
Vaccination began with health workers and police in early 2021, mainly with Covishield, and the state government said vaccines would be free for everyone. Senior citizens were vaccinated from March 2021 and all over-45s from April. By late November 2021 more than 95% of adults in Kerala had received at least one dose, according to Wikipedia. The Sunday lockdown was lifted on 7 September 2021, and a partial night lockdown returned briefly in January 2022 during the Omicron rise.
Students and hostels
For the colleges and hostels around Kalamassery, the lockdowns disrupted classes and daily life; public transport stopped altogether during the first statewide lockdown from 23 March 2020, and inter-district travel stayed restricted for weeks. We did not find dated, sourced records specific to the reopening of Kalamassery campuses or private hostels, so we do not give dates for them. Kerala's cumulative toll, as recorded by Wikipedia on 5 April 2022, was 65,34,352 confirmed cases and 68,197 deaths.
Figures here are official counts as reported at the time. They describe the past; for current health advice, follow the State Health Department.
Why this history matters near the NAD signal
The Medical College is the nearest government hospital to the NAD Road signal, and many of its students, nurses and bystanders stay nearby. Ashraf Gents Hostel, a men-only hostel/PG at Ashraf house on NAD Road, is about 1.5 km from the campus (other options are listed in hospitals and clinics near Kalamassery); rates are indicative and confirmed on +91 90746 23855. See our pages for bystanders at the Medical College, public health alerts in Kochi and the Kalamassery history archive.
Frequently asked questions
When did Kalamassery Medical College become a Covid hospital?
In the last week of March 2020. Reports on 23 March said the campus would become a Covid treatment centre, with only emergency OP and dialysis continuing for others.
Was Kerala's first Covid death at Kalamassery?
Yes. A 69-year-old man from Chullikal, Kochi, who had been in the Kalamassery isolation ward since 22 March, died on 28 March 2020.
When did the hospital start its own Covid testing?
Its RT-PCR lab began functioning after ICMR approval in April 2020.
Was it a Covid hospital again in 2021?
Yes. In April 2021 the state said it would again become a complete Covid hospital during the second wave.
When was Kerala's second lockdown?
From 8 May 2021, extended until 16 June 2021, after which restrictions depended on local case levels.
Related guides
Sources
- Wikipedia: Government Medical College, Ernakulam
- Wikipedia: COVID-19 pandemic in Kerala
- Medical Dialogues: Ernakulam Medical College to be transformed into COVID-19 treatment centre (March 2020)
- Onmanorama: COVID-19 takes first life in Kerala (28 March 2020)
- Kerala Kaumudi: report on Kalamassery Medical College as a complete Covid hospital (April 2021)
Facts about Ashraf Gents Hostel come from the hostel’s own profile and photos; rates are indicative and confirmed on the call. Last reviewed . How we write these guides: editorial notes. Map embeds © Google.
Cite this guide: Ashraf Gents Hostel. “Covid-19 and the Kalamassery Medical College, 2020–2022.” Published 8 October 2026. https://ashrafgentspghostel.adserr.com/covid-19-kalamassery-medical-college/ Plain-text (Markdown) version · quoting with a link back is welcome.