Kerala HC seeks clarity on Centre’s delay in approving AIIMS for Kerala
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Kochi: The Kerala High Court has questioned the Centre’s rationale for keeping Kerala out of the list of states being considered for an All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), asking whether the state’s relatively strong healthcare system was being treated as a disadvantage.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice Soumen Sen and Justice Syam Kumar was hearing petitions seeking an AIIMS for Kerala under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY).
The Centre told the court that states with weaker healthcare infrastructure were being given priority, while Kerala already had comparatively developed medical facilities. The bench questioned whether that reasoning effectively meant Kerala did not need an AIIMS and whether the presence of numerous private hospitals could count against the state.
The court also sought clarity on the criteria Kerala had allegedly failed to meet and noted that AIIMS institutions had been established in relatively prosperous parts of the country, including Delhi. The bench said there were sufficient grounds for Kerala to have the premier medical institute and indicated that it was not convinced by the criteria cited by the Centre.
The court noted that the proposal had remained pending for nearly a decade, despite Kerala identifying possible locations in the past. In October 2025, the state submitted a memorandum to the Union Health Minister seeking approval to establish AIIMS at Kinaloor in Kozhikode.
The Centre maintained that identifying land did not constitute its formal allocation or approval. The court directed the Union government to reconsider the matter and take necessary steps. The case will be heard again after six weeks.
The Centre informed Parliament in July that no in-principle approval had been granted for an AIIMS in Kerala.
Meanwhile, the state government has launched a separate initiative focused on preventive healthcare and longevity. It constituted a high-level Kerala Holistic Model for Health, Wellness and Longevity Task Force, headed by the Chief Minister, with the Health Minister as vice-chairman and healthcare experts as members.
The panel will develop a model covering prevention, early detection, treatment and healthy ageing, while examining the integration of modern medicine with Ayurveda and other traditional systems. It will also explore a secure digital platform for consolidating health information.
The task force is expected to submit its report within two months, along with two or three pilot projects, a three-year action plan, cost estimates, funding options and mechanisms for implementation and accountability.
With IANS inputs