Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurated the multi-specialty block of Koothuparamba Taluk Hospital on November 3. Photo credit: Special arrangement
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said on Monday (November 3) that Kerala’s public health sector has evolved into a more modern, people-friendly system with advanced facilities from taluk hospitals to medical colleges. He was speaking after inaugurating a new multi-specialty block at the Kuthuparamba Taluk Hospital along with a state-level pilot project for HPV vaccination to prevent cervical cancer and digital mammography.
The Chief Minister said that the HPV vaccination initiative is another major milestone in the progress of healthcare in Kerala and will be rolled out across the state after a pilot phase in Kannur. The vaccination aimed at preventing cervical cancer – the second most common cancer among women in India – will initially target Plus One and Plus Two students.
Highlighting the government’s commitment to healthcare reforms, Mr Vijayan said the new ₹ 59.23 crore 12-storey multi-specialty block at Kuthuparamba is equipped with 171 beds, a nine-bed medical ICU, four operating theatres, a delivery room with four suites and 12 outpatient wards. Various medical fields will operate within the new block.
He added that Kerala’s infant and maternal mortality rate is comparable to that of developed countries and its life expectancy of 77 years exceeds the global average of 73.5. These achievements, he said, are the result of sustained government interventions such as the Aardram mission, which transformed primary health centers into family health centers and strengthened disease prevention.
Health Minister Veena George, who presided over the function, said that the Kuthuparamba Taluk Hospital is a model for the transformation of healthcare in Kerala. She added that cancer treatment is now available at taluk-level hospitals, ensuring access for economically weaker sections. Ms Veena said the state had opened 5,417 public health centres, upgraded 740 of them to family health centers and extended dialysis facilities to more than 150 hospitals. The number of cath labs in government hospitals has increased from four to 22 in the last nine years, while the Malabar Cancer Center has become the first in India to develop CAR T-cell therapy.
Among those present were V. Sivadasan, MP, and KK Shailaja and KP Mohanan, MLA. Local representatives, officials and public health workers also attended the event, which was held at the Kuthuparamba Municipal Stadium.
Published – 03 Nov 2025 20:18 IST
