The Rama Rao Government Taluk Hospital (also known as Paravur Government hospital) in Nedungolam, Kollam, Kerala, is a significant healthcare facility in Nedungolam, Paravur.
Location: Paravur – Chathannoor Road, Nedungolam, Kollam – 691334, Kerala.
Contact Phone Number : 0474 251 2324.
Operating Hours: The hospital is typically open from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM from Monday to Sunday.
Services: It offers a range of healthcare services to cater to the local community.
Government Ramarao Taluk Hospital’s History:
The Rama Rao Memorial Taluk Hospital, an exceptional institution, was founded in 1894 by T. Rama Rao, who served as the Diwan of Travancore from 1887 to 1892. A Dakshini Maharashtrian, Rama Rao was the great-great-grandfather of the person recounting this history. He established the hospital on 16 acres of his own land, using personal funds to provide charitable healthcare for the underprivileged Dalit families in Nedungolam, a remote village in Kollam District where he owned extensive coconut and paddy fields.
This endowment, one of the second oldest in the Travancore kingdom (now part of Kerala), stands as a testament to his dedication to community welfare. Following his death in 1895, his son, Rao Sahib Udarasiromani T. Padmanabha Rao, took a keen interest in further developing the hospital. However, after Padmanabha Rao’s time (around 1945 onward), the family’s involvement waned. Ultimately, on April 17, 1971, the hospital was handed over to the Government of Kerala by their late father, K. Rama Rao. It is the nearest government hospital near Varkala Mangroves Nedungolam. Another private hospital in Nedungolam is BR Hospital and research Centre, near Kottekkunnu temple.
The hospital has evolved into a significant healthcare institution, now ranked as the second largest in Kollam District. It was even considered by the Government of Kerala for the establishment of a major Medical College Hospital. Remarkably, the management has continued to honor the memory of its founder, T. Rama Rao, and his family for over 120 years. In 2012, when the Government of Kerala proposed to remove T. Rama Rao‘s name from the hospital, the Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Raju, the local MLA, Shri. Jayalal of CPI (M), and the Chairperson of the local Panchayat, resisted this change and successfully retained the name.
