Kozhikode: A new Institute of Organ and Tissue Transplant will soon be established on a 20-acre plot at Chevayur in Kozhikode. Health Minister Veena George announced that the state government has granted administrative approval for the facility, with a budget of ₹643.88 crore. The minister stated that construction will begin shortly and measures are underway to procure the necessary equipment.

The institute will be a specialized facility employing highly trained doctors, scientists, and other medical professionals. It will provide comprehensive services encompassing organ transplant treatment, academics, training, research, and organ donation activities. Treatment for individuals with damaged organs, transplant surgery, and post-operative rehabilitation will be offered.

Designed as a six-story building with four blocks, the state-of-the-art institute will have a capacity of 510 beds, including 219 general beds, 42 special ward beds, 58 ICU beds, 83 HDU beds, 16 operation theatres, a dialysis centre, and a transplantation research centre.

The first phase will include 330 beds and 10 operation theatres, followed by a second phase adding 180 beds and six more operation theatres. Initially, 14 speciality departments will offer services, increasing to 21 in the second phase. A significant focus will be on teaching, with 31 academic courses planned. Transplants of cornea, kidney, liver, intestine, pancreas, heart, lung, bone marrow, soft tissue, hands, and bone will be performed.

The new institute aims to centralize all organ transplant activities in the state. Currently, transplant surgeries are conducted at the Government Medical Colleges in Thiruvananthapuram, Kottayam, and Kozhikode, and at Ernakulam General Hospital.