Published Feb 07, 2026 | 2:49 PM ⚊ Updated Feb 07, 2026 | 5:29 PM
Representational image. Credit: iStock
Synopsis: Kerala will launch the India’s first public sector institute dedicated to organ and tissue transplantation with the foundation stone of KIOTT laid in Kozhikode on 8 February. Funded by KIIFB at ₹643.88 crore, the centre will integrate treatment, research, and training, offering advanced transplants at affordable costs and strengthening Kerala’s organ donation ecosystem.
Kerala on Saturday, 7 February, marked a major milestone in public healthcare with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan laying the foundation stone for the Kerala Institute of Organ and Tissue Transplant (KIOTT) at Chevayur in Kozhikode.
The ambitious project, billed as India’s first comprehensive public sector institute dedicated exclusively to organ and tissue transplantation, signals a new phase in the state’s efforts to make advanced, life-saving care accessible and affordable.
The foundation stone was laid at 11.30 am, with Health Minister Veena George presiding over the function. Ministers PA Muhammed Riyas and AK Saseendran also attended as chief guests.
The institute is being established on 20 acres within the premises of the Government Hospital of Dermatology at Chevayur, with funding support from the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB). The total project cost, including GST, is pegged at ₹643.88 crore.
Designed as a fully autonomous centre of excellence, KIOTT will integrate treatment, teaching, training, research and organ donation coordination under one roof. Once completed, it is expected to serve as a national model for organ transplantation services in the public sector.
In an earlier post on X, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan described the institute as a landmark step in strengthening Kerala’s public healthcare system.
“Healthcare is a right, not a privilege. This KIIFB-funded project will offer advanced, life-saving surgeries at nearly one-third the cost of private hospitals, giving hope to thousands,” he said.
Healthcare is a right, not a privilege. Tomorrow, we lay the foundation stone for the Kerala Institute of Organ & Tissue Transplant (KIOTT) at Kozhikode. At ₹525Cr, this KIIFB funded project is India’s first public sector multi-organ transplant centre of excellence. By offering… pic.twitter.com/wPw8ExljIB
— Pinarayi Vijayan (@pinarayivijayan) February 6, 2026
Vijayan said that the establishment of the Kerala Institute of Organ Transplantation marks the most exemplary intervention by the state in the health sector—one that the entire country is eagerly looking forward to.
He said the institute represents an unparalleled leap in healthcare delivery at a time when the sector is undergoing rapid transformation.
Organ transplant surgeries, he noted, are among the most critical and expensive medical procedures today, with costs in the private sector often varying drastically between hospitals—placing an unbearable burden on ordinary families.
It was in this context that leading experts proposed the idea of a dedicated public-sector transplant institute.
“The Kerala Institute of Organ Transplantation is becoming a reality to ensure equitable access to life-saving procedures. I hope the project will be completed in a time-bound manner, with the collective support of all,” Vijayan added.
The project will be implemented in two phases.
The first phase, estimated at around ₹299 crore, will include 350 beds comprising intensive care units, high dependency units and dialysis facilities, along with 10 fully equipped operation theatres. 14 specialty departments and divisions are planned in this phase.
The second phase will add 180 more beds, six additional operation theatres and seven specialty departments, taking the total bed strength to 510.
The eight-floor complex will be built as three towers and will also house a dedicated transplant research centre, and a centre for cell and tissue engineering.
About ₹99 crore has been earmarked separately for advanced medical equipment.
KIOTT is envisaged as a one-stop destination for all types of organ, tissue, and cell transplants.
The institute is expected to carry out a wide range of procedures annually, including cornea, kidney, liver, heart, lung, pancreas and intestinal transplants, besides bone marrow and complex soft tissue transplants such as hands, face and bones.
Officials estimate that, once fully functional, the hospital could perform hundreds of transplants every year, significantly reducing the dependence on private facilities and out-of-State centres.
Beyond clinical services, the institute will function as a major academic and training centre. Plans are in place to launch 31 academic courses in transplant sciences and allied disciplines, many of them proposed to be first-of-their-kind in the country. The facility will provide advanced training for doctors, nurses and paramedical staff, strengthening Kerala’s human resource base in transplantation medicine.
The government’s organ donation coordination agency, K-SOTTO, will oversee transplant-related activities at the institute, ensuring seamless coordination between donation, retrieval and transplantation.
Health Minister Veena George said the institute would address a long-felt need for a dedicated organ transplant centre in the public sector.
At present, organ transplantation services in Kerala are distributed across medical colleges in Thiruvananthapuram, Kottayam and Kozhikode, and at Ernakulam General Hospital.
“With KIOTT, all transplant-related services will be brought together in a single, state-of-the-art facility. This will not only improve patient outcomes but also strengthen Kerala’s organ donation ecosystem,” she said.
With construction set to begin shortly, the Kerala Institute of Organ and Tissue Transplant is being hailed as a transformative initiative — one that could redefine access to advanced transplant care and usher in a new era for organ and tissue transplantation in the country’s public health system.
George termed the project a “historic milestone” in Kerala’s health sector.
She said that the state government decided to establish the institute in Chevayur after recognising the absence of a comprehensive organ transplant hospital and research centre anywhere in the country.
Once operational, the institute will offer world-class organ transplant facilities at affordable costs, she said.
George also announced that the Kerala government would soon unveil a scheme to provide post-transplant medicines to patients at the lowest prices in the country.
(Edited by Amit Vasudev)
