KOZHIKODE: The Kerala government has announced plans to set up an Institute of Organ and Tissue Transplant in Kozhikode. This new facility aims to be a leading center for research, training, and patient care in organ transplantation and related fields. The Institute will feature highly skilled doctors, researchers, and healthcare professionals, positioning it as a Centre of Excellence.

Currently, the organ transplant sector faces numerous challenges, including a shortage of available organs, inadequate facilities, and a lack of qualified doctors. Additionally, the high costs associated with transplants, most of which are conducted in the private sector, make them inaccessible for many patients. The new Institute seeks to address these issues by providing low-cost organ transplants and training the necessary workforce through various specialized courses and research programs. The goal is to ensure that healthy organs from deceased donors are matched with patients in need.

The project, as detailed in a Concept Note by HLL Infra Tech Services Limited (HITES), will cost approximately Rs 558.68 crores, with Phase I costing Rs 373.68 crores and Phase II Rs 185 crores. Funding will come from the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB). The Institute will be built on a 25-acre campus and include a 489-bed hospital featuring general beds, special ward beds, ICU beds, HDU beds, operation rooms, a dialysis center, and a transplantation research center.

In Phase I, the facility will offer 330 beds and 10 operation rooms, while Phase II will add another 180 beds and 6 operation rooms. The Institute aims to perform a range of transplants annually, including 1,100 corneal, 500 kidney, 320 liver, 15 intestinal, 15 pancreas, 50 heart, 40 lung, 120 bone marrow, and 300 soft tissue, digit, hand, bone, and face transplants.

The Institute will span 60,000 square meters, with total infrastructure, including services, parking, an auditorium, a guest house, hostels, and quarters, covering over 175,000 square meters. It will host 14 specialty departments in Phase I and an additional 7 in Phase II. Thirty-one academic courses will be offered, some of which will be the first of their kind in India. These include super-specialty courses, post-doctoral fellowships, specialty nursing, transplant technician, and transplant coordinator courses.

As a State University established under the Kerala Legislative Assembly, the Institute will operate as an autonomous institution. It will have an Institute Body and a Governing Body, with a Director serving as the head. Half of the faculty, scientists, nursing staff, technical staff, medical social workers, and transplant coordinators will be on tenure or contract basis. Notably, only the USA and China currently have dedicated transplant centers, making this Institute the first of its kind in India.

This dedicated facility for organ, tissue, and cell transplantation will be a significant advancement in the field. It is expected to elevate Kerala to international standards in organ transplantation, substantially reduce costs, benefit the underprivileged, and promote medical tourism.

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