Kerala’s Government Medical Colleges to Focus on Healthtech & Medtech Innovations

The plan also includes setting up a Health Tech Hub at the Apex Trauma and Emergency Learning Centre at Thiruvananthapuram Medical College.

The Department of Health and Family Welfare has approved the establishment of Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Development Centres (IEDCs) in government medical colleges across Kerala, addressing a long-noted absence in the state’s healthcare innovation framework.

The proposal for IEDCs was first raised in 2022 by the Kerala chapter of the Indian Medical Association (IMA) and the Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM).

The decision follows multiple discussions at the Directorate of Medical Education and among stakeholders, including KSUM, Kerala Development and Innovation Strategic Council (K-DISC) and the Director of Medical Education.

The plan also includes setting up a Health Tech Hub at the Apex Trauma and Emergency Learning Centre at Thiruvananthapuram Medical College.

Anoop Ambika, CEO of KSUM, said, “KSUM would like to extend gratitude to the Department of Health, and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan for their prompt support in issuing the government order.”

He added, “By establishing Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Centres (IEDCs) within Kerala’s medical colleges, we are creating a unique platform where first-hand clinical insights can seamlessly translate into impactful healthcare solutions. These centres will empower medical students, faculty, and professionals to innovate from ideation and prototyping to validation and commercialisation, addressing real-world healthcare challenges with precision.

With the combined strengths of Kerala Startup Mission, Kerala Medical Technology Consortium, Indian Medical Association, Kerala Chapter, Kerala University of Health Sciences, and the Directorate of Medical Education, we are fostering an ecosystem that blends medical expertise with technological innovation and entrepreneurial spirit. This initiative will not only advance patient care but also position Kerala’s medical colleges as driving forces in shaping the future of healthcare innovation in India.”

Dr Joseph Benaven, chairman of the IMA Employment and Career Facilitation Bureau, welcomed the move. “These IEDCs would provide avenues for young doctors who have a lot of innovative ideas and solutions to cater to the needs of the health sector. It should be noted that all educational institutions in the state, right from schools to arts and science colleges, and engineering colleges have IEDCs. Even a few private medical colleges like the Believers Church Medical College have set up IEDC. It is high time the Government Medical Colleges too have one,” he said.

He added that once these centres become operational, they will drive innovation in health-tech, including AI-related healthcare solutions, and med-tech, involving innovative medical equipment.

“It will help us achieve the dream of making Kerala the medical and health tech innovation hub,” he said. Discussions are already underway with institutions such as IIT Palakkad, NIT Calicut, CUSAT and the College of Engineering Thiruvananthapuram for the creation of innovation clusters, fostering collaboration between engineering graduates and doctors.

According to the government order, the IEDCs will focus on medical technology and devices, digital health solutions, and healthcare service and delivery models.

They will support initiatives in diagnostic development, patient monitoring, treatment and rehabilitation processes, along with digital platforms, applications and software to enhance healthcare accessibility, data management, telemedicine, patient engagement and healthcare analytics.

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