Kerala to extend 24x7 Pratheeksha centres to four more district hospitals by October-end after Punalur trial

6 October 2026

The Health Department's 24x7 Pratheeksha Centre project, meant to ease crowding at medical colleges and give specialist treatment urgently, worked well at Punalur Taluk Hospital, the trial site.
Health and Devaswom Minister K Muraleedharan said it will now reach four more hospitals by the end of October.
These are the district hospitals at Palakkad, Tirur (Malappuram), Vadakara (Kozhikode) and Ernakulam.
Referral cases from Punalur Taluk Hospital fell by 30 per cent, the hospital superintendent told a review meeting.
The project will run on a trial basis in various districts till December this year, and full State-level rollout will follow an evaluation.