Kerala adds emphasis on medical research; to pick the best for awards

The government will continue to place great emphasis on medical research, especially in medical colleges, over the next 5 years

Efforts by the Kerala government to encourage research in medical colleges will be further spruced up with the state’s Health Department declaring that the best research in the health sector shall be awarded.

Dwelling upon the topic of how to make medical research more effective, Kerala Health Minister Veena George said that the government will continue to place great emphasis on research in the health sector, especially in medical colleges, over the next five-year period. All options to make this happen in the most serious manner will be weighed, she added.

Plans to spur medical research to a higher level

Kerala’s medical colleges have already made a name nationally for the best healthcare facilities offered. These medical colleges that excel academically have immense scope for furthering the research activities. This realisation has led the state health department to spur the medical colleges to focus more on research in future.

According to the health minister, “There is great potential for research in the field of health. There are many doctors who have the ability, interest, mind and talent to do research.”

Great potential for research in healthcare

Their research can make a huge contribution to the health sector. Medical colleges in Kerala have many talented alumni from all over the world in the field of medicine. There are many things that can be done with their participation, she added.

The recent workshop on medical research organised by the Medical College Alumni Association in Thiruvananthapuram is seen as a good start in the state’s endeavour to pursue medical research.

The state has more than 10 medical colleges in the government sector, while there are several more in the private sector. The health index of Kerala has been acknowledged as on par with Western countries, and it is doing the best when it comes to healthcare nationally.