Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Health Minister Veena George has announced that the International Ayurveda Research Centre, currently under construction in Kannur with an investment of Rs 400 crore, will be a landmark initiative set to benefit generations to come.
Stating that Ayurveda has earned global recognition though research has lagged behind, the Minister said the new Centre would bridge this gap, with the first phase of construction nearing completion.
The facility will feature a 100-bed hospital, repositories for centuries-old manuscripts and palm-leaf records, conservation units for medicinal plant biodiversity, and galleries to showcase Ayurveda’s diverse traditions.
Several foreign universities have already expressed interest in research collaborations with the Centre, she said.
Highlighting the state’s interventions in the AYUSH sector, Minister George said Kerala has introduced standardisation measures to strengthen planning and fund allocation. The government’s policy of ensuring a homoeopathy dispensary in every panchayat has been fully implemented, making Kerala the only state in the country to provide AYUSH facilities across all panchayats.
For the first time, 116 new posts have been created in the sector, including 40 in the homoeopathy department. Kerala was also the first state to frame guidelines to ensure quality in the AYUSH sector, which were later adopted at the national level. So far, 250 AYUSH institutions in the state have secured NABH accreditation.
The Minister noted that funding for AYUSH has increased tenfold since 2021. New academic courses with structured modules and syllabi have been launched, and nearly 10,000 yoga clubs have been set up across the state to promote preventive healthcare.
The government has also instituted the Kerala AYUSH Kayakalp Award to recognise institutions maintaining high standards of hygiene, waste management and infection control under the supervision of local bodies. This year, 132 AYUSH institutions were honoured for exemplary performance, she added.
