Kerala’s health sector is set to enter a major phase of expansion, with healthcare projects worth over ₹1,800 crore scheduled to be launched across the State this month, according to State Health Minister Veena George.
The projects are aimed at strengthening health and medical infrastructure and improving access to quality healthcare services statewide. Among the key initiatives is the Institute of Organ Transplantation in Kozhikode, which will be established at a cost of ₹643.88 crore.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will lay the foundation stone for the institute, which is envisioned as a single umbrella facility coordinating all transplant-related activities, including treatment, surgeries, post-transplant rehabilitation, research, and training. The institute will initially function as a wing of the Kozhikode Government Medical College Hospital and will later be shifted to a dedicated building. The State government has sanctioned 60 posts for the centre.
A major cancer care project, the Cochin Cancer Research Centre (CCRC), has been constructed at a cost of ₹387 crore. Equipped with state-of-the-art facilities and equipment, the centre is expected to significantly improve cancer diagnosis, treatment, management, and research in central Kerala, a region that has historically faced a shortage of public-sector cancer treatment facilities. The centre is scheduled to be formally inaugurated on February 9.
The second phase of development of the Kerala State Homoeopathic Cooperative Pharmacy Ltd. (HOMCO) will be launched at Alappuzha on February 13. Completed at a cost of ₹109.82 crore, the project includes a new manufacturing facility for the production of tablets and ointments, strengthening the State’s homoeopathic medicine production capacity.
Other initiatives include the launch of a food street project at Kottakkunnu in Malappuram, developed at a cost of ₹1 crore, aimed at promoting hygienic food practices in a well-designed public space.
At Kottayam Government Medical College Hospital, an eight-storey surgical block constructed at a cost of ₹257 crore will be inaugurated. The facility will house 526 beds, 14 operation theatres, and advanced ICU and isolation units, supported by medical equipment worth ₹115 crore, significantly enhancing surgical and critical care capacity.
The State will also launch the International Research Institute of Ayurveda (IRIA) at Kannur, developed on a 300-acre campus at a cost of ₹200 crore. The institute will include a 100-bed hospital, a manuscript study centre, a medicinal plants garden, and research facilities focused on advancing evidence-based Ayurveda.
In addition, capacity at the Regional Cancer Centre (RCC) in Thiruvananthapuram will be expanded through a new 14-storey building covering 30,680 square metres, constructed at a cost of ₹242.42 crore, addressing long-standing space constraints at the facility.
Together, these projects mark a significant push by the Kerala government to expand specialised healthcare services, strengthen research and training, and improve patient access across the State.
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