Kozhikode, February 7 (IANS). Chief Minister P. Vijayan on Saturday said that the establishment of Kerala Institute of Organ Transplantation is one of the best and commendable steps taken in the health sector of the state.
The CM was laying the foundation stone of the first organ transplant hospital being built at Chevayur in Kozhikode under the health department.
This institute is being built with state-of-the-art facilities, so that all activities related to organ transplantation, all types of transplant surgeries can be done at one place.
The hospital targets to conduct around 1,100 corneas, 520 kidneys, 320 livers, 15 intestines, 15 pancreas, 50 hearts, 40 lungs, 120 bone marrow and 300 soft tissue/finger/hand/bone/face transplants every year.
The Chief Minister said that this organ transplant hospital will become a unique institution in itself, which will have no equal. At a time when the health sector is changing rapidly, organ transplant surgery has become very important.
The cost of these surgeries in private hospitals is very high and the cost of the same surgery varies in different hospitals. It becomes very difficult for many families to bear this much expense. In view of this situation, experts had suggested the establishment of such a hospital.
The Chief Minister expressed hope that the project would be completed on time and appealed for cooperation from all sections to make it successful.
Health Minister Veena George said the day is an important milestone in the history of Kerala’s health sector. Recognizing this critical need, the state government decided to establish the Kerala Institute of Organ Transplantation at Chevayur.
The minister also said that the government will soon announce a scheme under which medicines will be provided to post-transplant patients at the lowest prices in the country.
This hospital will be built on 20 acres of land in the Chevayur Skin Disease Hospital complex. Its construction will be done in two phases. The cost of the first phase will be Rs 299 crore. An additional Rs 99 crore has been kept for equipment.
In the first phase, the hospital will have 350 beds including ICU and HDU facilities, a dialysis center and 10 operation theatres.
There will be 14 special departments and divisions and the entire building will be built in eight floors.
The institute will also serve as a training and research center for doctors and paramedical staff in the field of transplantation, where it is planned to run 31 academic courses. The hospital is being constructed with funds from KIIFB.
–IANS
AMT/ABM