The minister stated that the newly formed Congress-led government is committed to expediting the long-pending proposal and is willing to extend full cooperation to the Union Government to ensure swift progress. He emphasized that land is available across multiple districts in the state, reiterating that the government has no restrictions on the location of the premier medical institute. “We want AIIMS anywhere in Kerala. We are not placing any condition,” Muraleedharan said.
He further noted that even districts such as Palakkad would be fully acceptable if deemed suitable by the Centre for the establishment of the institute. In what appeared to be a pointed remark directed at Thrissur Member of Parliament and Union Minister Suresh Gopi, the minister said that no official recommendation has been received from any side insisting that AIIMS be located in Thrissur.
At the same time, the minister indicated that Alappuzha could emerge as a strong contender for the project. He added that the state government would soon hold discussions with the Union Government to ensure that the process is expedited without further delay.
Muraleedharan also referred to the proposed Rs 500-crore Employees’ State Insurance hospital project, alleging that its progress had been delayed during the previous Left Democratic Front government due to procedural hurdles. He added that Member of Parliament NK Premachandran and he would work together to expedite the project at the earliest.
Kerala has been demanding an AIIMS facility for more than a decade. However, the project has remained stalled due to disagreements over land identification, feasibility concerns, and the absence of final approval from the Centre. Over the years, multiple districts including Kozhikode, Palakkad, Kasaragod, Alappuzha, and Thiruvananthapuram have been considered as potential locations.
The previous Left Democratic Front government had proposed Kinaloor in Kozhikode district as the designated site and communicated the decision to the Centre. Despite this, the Union Health Ministry informed Parliament last year that no AIIMS project for Kerala had been approved under the current phase of the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana.
The Kerala High Court had also previously sought clarity from the Centre regarding the prolonged delay, observing that the demand for an AIIMS in the state has remained unresolved for years despite repeated representations.
The latest statement from the state government marks a renewed attempt to break the long-standing deadlock and push forward one of Kerala’s most significant pending healthcare infrastructure demands.
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