Kerala HC seeks review of Centre’s criteria for AIIMS

The Kerala High Court questioned the Centre’s stand on establishing AIIMS in the state, asking whether Kerala’s comparatively better healthcare infrastructure had become a handicap. The court also questioned private hospitals being treated as a disqualification and sought a review.

Kochi: The Kerala High Court on Wednesday questioned the Centre’s stand on the long-pending proposal to establish an All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in the state, asking whether Kerala’s comparatively better healthcare infrastructure had effectively become a handicap in securing the premier medical institution.

A division bench of Chief Justice Soumen Sen and Justice Syam Kumar was hearing petitions seeking the establishment of AIIMS in Kerala under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY).

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As the Centre said states with weaker healthcare infrastructure were being prioritised and that Kerala already had comparatively better medical facilities, the court took a tough view of the argument and questioned whether the Centre’s position meant that Kerala did not require an AIIMS.

It also questioned whether the presence of a large number of private hospitals could be treated as a disqualification.

“There are more private hospitals here. Is that a disqualification?” the bench asked, pointing out that Kerala has a high population density.

The court also questioned which specific criteria the state had failed to satisfy.

The bench further questioned the logic of excluding Kerala because of its relatively advanced healthcare facilities, pointing out that AIIMS institutions had been established in other affluent parts of the country, including Delhi.

The bench observed that there were sufficient reasons for Kerala to have an AIIMS and said it was not satisfied with the criteria cited by the Centre.

The court noted that the proposal had been pending for nearly a decade, with Kerala having identified sites on earlier occasions.

The state had also submitted a memorandum to the Union Health Minister in October 2025 seeking approval for an AIIMS at Kinaloor in Kozhikode.

The Centre maintained that identification of land did not amount to formal allocation or approval.

The bench, however, directed the Union Government to review the issue and take necessary steps.

The matter has been posted after six weeks.

The Centre had told Parliament in July that no in-principle approval had yet been granted for an AIIMS in Kerala.

The AIIMS debate comes at a time when Kerala is also seeking to move beyond a conventional treatment-centred healthcare system.

The state government on Wednesday constituted a high-level Kerala Holistic Model for Health, Wellness and Longevity Task Force, with the Chief Minister as Chairman and the Health Minister as Vice-Chairman, along with healthcare experts as members.

The task force will work on a comprehensive model covering disease prevention, early detection, quality treatment and healthy ageing.

It will examine the integration of modern medicine with traditional systems such as Ayurveda and explore a secure digital system to bring health information under one platform.

The task force is expected to submit its report within two months, including two or three pilot projects, a three-year phased action plan, estimated costs, funding options and mechanisms to monitor implementation and fix departmental responsibilities.

Taken together, the AIIMS demand and the new longevity-focused task force point to Kerala seeking both greater access to advanced tertiary healthcare and a more preventive, integrated and technology-driven health model.