Kozhikode Organ Transplant Institute to Be Completed in 30 Months: Satheesan

The proposed Institute of Organ and Tissue Transplantation in Kozhikode is expected to be completed in 30 months, Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan said. The institute is planned on a 20-acre plot in Chevayur, with ₹271 crore being set aside for the project.

Satheesan made the announcement in a speech after opening the silver jubilee celebrations of the Kerala Heart Care Society on Saturday (October 3). The proposed completion timeline comes after the foundation stone for the institute was laid by former Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in February this year.

Services planned under one roof

All services related to organ transplantation would be brought under one roof, with the aim of bringing down the surgery cost to one-third, Satheesan said. The facility would have 350 beds and 10 operation theatres.

A dermatology hospital has also been proposed on the same premises. Satheesan said ₹35 crore would be spent on the hospital. The institute would be elevated as a centre of excellence, with a research programme attached to it.

The planned facility would perform a wide range of transplant surgeries each year, according to Satheesan. The annual figures cited were 1,100 cornea transplants, 520 kidney transplants, 50 heart transplants, 40 lung transplants, 120 bone marrow transplants, 320 liver transplants, 15 intestine transplants, 15 pancreas transplants and 320 soft tissue transplant surgeries.

Healthcare destination plan

Satheesan said Keralam would use its climate and other advantages to become a healthcare destination. He said foreigners and people from within the country could approach the State for treatment.

The wider plan would include wellness centres, rehabilitation centres and facilities providing medical treatment for stroke. An extensive campaign would also soon be undertaken for the prevention and early detection of diseases.

The project’s progress had, however, reportedly slowed after the change of government. The proposed 30-month completion timeline and the planned concentration of transplant-related services are therefore central to the institute’s development.

K. Praveenkumar and K. Jayanth, MLAs, and K. Kunjali, president of the society, were present, among others, at the event.

Source: The Hindu