KOCHI: At a time when much of the onus is being put on the need for innovation in the health and medicine sector, the absence of Innovation Entrepreneurship & Development Centres (IEDCs) in Government Medical Colleges and hospitals stood out like a sore thumb.
But that will be a thing of the past since the Department of Health and Family Welfare has issued an order giving approval to set up IEDCs in medical colleges in the state.
The discussions regarding the IEDCs in medical colleges had begun way back in 2022 when the same was proposed by the state chapter of Indian Medical Association (IMA) and Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM).
As per the Government Order (GO), the decision was arrived at after a series of discussions at the Directorate of Medical Education and other stakeholders. In a meeting held with the KSUM, K-DISC, and the Director of Medical Education, all the agencies agreed to facilitate and support the establishment of Innovation Centres in Medical College Hospitals and Health Tech Hub at Apex Trauma and Emergency Learning Centre (ATELC) — a centre of excellence in trauma care, at Thiruvananthapuram Medical College.
Speaking to TNIE, Anoop Ambika, CEO of KSUM, said, “KSUM would like to extend gratitude to the Department of Health, and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan for their prompt support in issuing the government order.”
“By establishing Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Centres (IEDCs) within Kerala’s medical colleges, we are creating a unique platform where first-hand clinical insights can seamlessly translate into impactful healthcare solutions. These centres will empower medical students, faculty, and professionals to innovate from ideation and prototyping to validation and commercialisation, addressing real-world healthcare challenges with precision.
With the combined strengths of Kerala Startup Mission, Kerala Medical Technology Consortium, Indian Medical Association , Kerala Chapter, Kerala University of Health Sciences, and the Directorate of Medical Education, we are fostering an ecosystem that blends medical expertise with technological innovation and entrepreneurial spirit. This initiative will not only advance patient care but also position Kerala’s medical colleges as driving forces in shaping the future of healthcare innovation in India,” he added.
According to Dr Joseph Benaven, chairman, IMA Employment and Career Facilitation Bureau, this is a welcome move.
“These IEDCs would provide avenues for young doctors who have a lot of innovative ideas and solutions to cater to the needs of the health sector. It should be noted that all educational institutions in the state, right from schools to arts and science colleges, and engineering colleges have IEDCs. Even a few private medical colleges like the Believers Church Medical College have set up IEDC. It is high time the Government Medical Colleges too have one,” he added.
He pointed out that once these IEDCs start functioning, we will have a lot of innovation coming in Health-tech (AI-related health solutions) and Med-tech (innovative medical equipment).
“It will help us achieve the dream of making Kerala the medical and health tech innovation hub,” said Dr Benaven.
He added that the IMA had spoken to various institutions like IIT Palakkad, NIT-Calicut, Cusat, and the College of Engineering Thiruvananthapuram regarding the creation of innovation clusters in the state.
“These clusters will see hand-holding happening between engineering grads and the doctors in developing innovative solutions,” he added.
Meanwhile, as per the GO, the IEDCs shall mainly focus on Medical Technology and Devices, Digital Health Solutions, and Healthcare Services and Delivery Models.
These innovation centres will focus on health tech initiatives for the development of innovative diagnostic, patient monitoring, treatment, and rehabilitation processes, and encourage the creation of digital platforms, applications, and software that can enhance healthcare accessibility, data management, telemedicine, patient engagement, and healthcare analytics.