Kerala to Become First State With Cath Labs in Every District

Idukki: Kerala is set to achieve a major milestone in public healthcare by becoming the first state in the country to have cath labs in every district. Health Minister Veena George has granted administrative sanction for two new cath labs in Idukki district — one at Idukki Medical College and another at Adimali Taluk Hospital. The projects will be implemented under the Idukki Development Package.

According to the government order, 10.3 crore rupees have been allocated for establishing the cath lab at Idukki Medical College, while 8.94 crore rupees have been sanctioned for the facility at Adimali Taluk Headquarters Hospital.

This comes soon after the government approved new cath labs for the Kozhikode, Ernakulam, and Alappuzha medical colleges. Administrative sanction of 44.30 crore rupees has been issued for the construction of cath labs and coronary care units (CCUs) in these institutions. With these additions, the state has now approved a total of five new cath labs.

In addition to the major government medical colleges, the health department has already set up cath labs in 12 other hospitals across the state. Kasaragod received its first cath lab in 2023, followed by Wayanad in 2024. Once the Idukki facilities are completed, Kerala will become the only state in India with cath labs in all its districts.

As per data from the Interventional Cardiology Council, most cath lab procedures in Kerala are performed in government hospitals. The highest number of cardiac interventions are carried out at the medical colleges in Kottayam, Kozhikode, Thiruvananthapuram, and Alappuzha — reflecting the efficiency and accessibility of cardiac care in the state’s public health sector.