HLL chosen project consultant for country’s first dedicated organ transplant hospital in Kozhikode

Kozhikode: The Kerala government has appointed HLL Infratech Services Ltd as the Project Management Consultant for the proposed multi-crore centre dedicated to organ transplantation. Notably, the Kozhikode centre will be the first government-run organ transplant hospital in the country.

HLL Infratech, a subsidiary of HLL Lifecare Limited (a Mini Ratna PSU under the Government of India), has prepared the preliminary master plan. In the next phase, a global tender will be issued to appoint an architectural consultant, within three months.

The proposed Kerala State Organ and Tissue Transplant Organization (K-SOTTO) will occupy 20-acre land near Govt. Hospital Of Dermatology, Chevayur here. In the interim, a temporary facility will be set up by mid-2024 at Medical College Hospital. Finalisation of the required staff and facilities will also be completed during this period. 

The project agreement was reached in July 2022 and received cabinet approval. The health minister previously visited the site and assessed the situation. Dr. Biju Pottakkat, a professor from the Department of Gastroenterology at Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research, Pondicherry, was appointed as a special officer. The final design of the centre will be decided upon the appointment of the architectural consultant.

The estimated cost of the project exceeds Rs 500 crores, and it is anticipated to employ around 150 doctors, over 800 nurses, and other supporting staff. The institute aims to become a hub for research and training.

Organ transplant procedures are often exorbitantly expensive in the private sector, rendering them unaffordable for ordinary individuals. The establishment of a government-run centre is expected to make these life-saving treatments accessible to all sections of society.