Rs 643.88 crore approved for Kozhikode Institute of Organ Transplantation
Thiruvananthapuram: With the Kerala Cabinet approving Rs 643.88 crore for establishing the proposed Kozhikode Institute of Organ and Tissue Transplantation, the institute's first phase is expected to become operational soon.
Envisioned as a single-window institution, the institute will integrate all aspects of organ donation and transplantation, supported by advanced medical infrastructure and state-of-the-art technology. It will be staffed by specialised doctors, scientists, and trained healthcare professionals.
The institute will offer services including clinical care, academic teaching, professional training, research, and organ donation activities, providing end-to-end services—from the treatment of organ failure to transplant surgery and long-term rehabilitation.
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According to an UNI news report, as part of the initial rollout, the Cabinet also sanctioned the creation of 60 teaching posts, including 14 Professors, seven Associate Professors, and 39 Assistant Professors.
Until the completion of its permanent campus, the institute will function from the Kozhikode Medical College, Kerala Health Minister Veena George said.
The institute will be established on a 20-acre site at Chevayur in Kozhikode and will comprise four six-storey blocks. Once fully operational, it will have a total capacity of 510 beds, including 219 general beds, 42 special ward beds, 58 ICU beds and 83 HDU beds. Facilities will include 16 operation theatres, a dialysis centre and a dedicated transplantation research unit.
In the first phase, 330 beds and 10 operation theatres will be commissioned, while the second phase will add 180 beds and six operation theatres. Fourteen speciality departments will function initially, with seven more planned in the next phase. The institute also aims to launch 31 academic courses.
The centre will offer transplant services for cornea, kidney, liver, intestine, pancreas, heart, lungs, bone marrow, soft tissue, hands and bones.
Currently, organ transplant surgeries in Kerala are carried out at medical colleges in Thiruvananthapuram, Kottayam and Kozhikode, and at the Ernakulam General Hospital.
The new institute, along with K-SOTTO for coordinating organ donation, is expected to significantly strengthen the State’s transplant ecosystem, the Minister added.
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