Kerala Health Minister launches KUHS initiatives, calls for CSR push to upgrade govt hospitals
Kerala Health Minister K. Muraleedharan inaugurated four major initiatives at the Kerala University of Health Sciences (KUHS) in Thrissur on Friday (July 31, 2026). The initiatives are aimed at strengthening the university's academic offerings, research capacity, and public health outreach.
KUHS, established in 2010, is one of the leading health sciences universities in the State, with affiliated colleges spread across Kerala. The university's first on-campus academic programme — an MSc in Medical Bioinformatics — was among the initiatives launched. The course is designed to train students in applying computational methods to biological and medical data, a field increasingly vital for modern health care and research.
The Minister also dedicated a medicinal plant garden developed with financial support from the National Medicinal Plants Board and technical assistance from the Kerala Forest Research Institute (KFRI). The garden is intended to help address the shortage of medicinal plants faced by the Ayurveda sector, which depends on a consistent supply of raw materials for traditional formulations.
In addition, Mr. Muraleedharan launched a YouTube channel for public health awareness and inaugurated an e-learning studio that will offer master classes to students across various academic disciplines. The e-learning studio is expected to enable experts to deliver lectures remotely, reaching students in affiliated colleges and beyond.
Speaking at the launch of the YouTube channel, the Minister said the initiative was timely, given the widespread circulation of misinformation and unscientific claims on issues such as COVID-19 and organ transplantation. He expressed confidence that evidence-based health awareness programmes by the university would greatly benefit society.
After inaugurating the medicinal plant garden, he noted that the initiative would help support the Ayurveda sector. He also appreciated the university's public awareness campaigns on snakebite prevention.
In his inaugural address, Mr. Muraleedharan reiterated the State government's commitment to ensuring quality education and health care for the people. He said the government's focus was on implementing projects that maximise public benefit while creating opportunities that could help reduce the migration of students and professionals to other States and abroad.
The Minister also said the government was willing to collaborate with the private sector to strengthen infrastructure in government hospitals and medical colleges by effectively utilising corporate social responsibility (CSR) funds from banks and other institutions. He added that such collaborations could enhance facilities in public health institutions without additional strain on government resources.
KUHS Vice-Chancellor Prof. Dr. Mohanan Kunnummal, who presided over the function, said the government's decision to consider bringing Government Medical College, Thrissur, under the university as a constituent college would significantly strengthen health research. He urged the government to expedite the process, noting that the proposal had already been included in the State Budget.
The inauguration of these initiatives comes at a time when Kerala is focusing on modernising its health education and public health infrastructure. The university's expansion into digital platforms and research-oriented programmes reflects a broader push to make quality education and health care more accessible to students and the public.
