Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday laid the foundation stone for the Kerala Institute of Organ and Tissue Transplant (KIOTT) at Chevayoor in Kozhikode, marking a significant milestone in public healthcare infrastructure in the state. The ceremony was attended by senior government officials and health experts, and is expected to reshape access to advanced medical care in Kerala.
The institute, being constructed on approximately 20 acres within the campus of the Government Dermatology Hospital, Chevayoor, will be India’s first dedicated public-sector facility for multi-organ transplant surgeries. Funded by the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB) at an estimated ₹525–₹644 crore, the institute aims to centralise treatment, research, training, and transplant services under one roof, making complex surgeries more accessible and affordable to the public.
Addressing the gathering, the Chief Minister highlighted that organ transplant procedures in private hospitals often incur prohibitive costs, pricing out many families. He emphasised that KIOTT’s model will offer treatments at nearly one-third of the cost charged by private centres, reducing financial strain and expanding access to life-saving procedures for common people. Officials described this initiative as a new model for public healthcare delivery in India, reflecting the state government’s commitment to health as a right rather than a privilege.
The institute’s infrastructure will include 350 beds, intensive care units, high-dependency units, dialysis facilities, and 10 fully equipped operation theatres in the first phase. It will feature 14 specialised departments and is designed to handle a broad range of transplant procedures including cornea, kidney, liver, heart, lung, pancreas, intestinal, bone marrow, and complex soft-tissue transplants. Plans also include making KIOTT a training and research hub for medical professionals, with academic courses in transplant medicine and allied fields.
Health Minister Veena George described the project as a landmark achievement for Kerala’s health sector, expressing confidence that the facility will not only save lives but also train future experts in transplant sciences. With its comprehensive services, KIOTT is expected to become a national benchmark for equitable organ transplant healthcare.
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