Kerala to get India's first ESIC Ayurveda college
Kerala: To promote Ayurvedic education in the state, Kerala will soon establish the country's first Ayurvedic medical college under the Employees; State Insurance Corporation (ESIC).
The Union Ministry of Labour and Employment has granted in-principle approval for the college, according to MP Kodikunnil Suresh.
This information was provided during a recent meeting with Union Labour Minister Mansukh Mandaviya in Delhi. The assurance was given after explaining the strategic advantages of the Ezhukon site and the growing demand for integrated healthcare in the area. A proposal has been submitted, taking into account the existing infrastructure and the state's healthcare needs, and the project will be officially considered at the upcoming ESIC Board of Directors meeting.
According to The Hindu news report, the proposed medical college will be built on land already owned by the ESI Corporation in Ezhukone. Combining Ayurvedic treatment with formal medical education, the centre is envisioned as a model institution that will provide specialised traditional care to the working class and their families.
Beyond its clinical impact, the project is expected to play a key role in regional development by transforming Ezhukon into a major national hub for health education and research.
This initiative is expected to give national recognition to the rich Ayurvedic heritage of Kerala, besides significantly expanding the scope of labour welfare schemes under ESIC.
Medical Dialogues had recently reported that the ESIC Medical College at ESIC Model Hospital and PGIMSR, Basaidarapur, which admitted its first MBBS batch in 2025, is functioning with only 15 faculty members against the 20 posts required under mandated norms, according to a Right to Information (RTI) reply.
As per the RTI response shared by ESIC Hospital in February 2026, the college is running its three main pre-clinical departments - anatomy, physiology and biochemistry, with only one associate and three assistant professors.
