I am certain that you are aware that a new Health University has taken shape in Kerala (Kerala University for Health and Allied Sciences - KUHAS). All the govt and private owned medical colleges in every discipline (allopathy and AYUSH) and every nursing and para medical college is in the process of transferring their affiliation to this university which is expected to be complete by the end if this educational year. Dr K Mohandas, [Former Director, Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences & Technology,Past Chairperson, Association of Commonwealth Universities, London,Past President, Association of Indian Universities, New Delhi] Is posted as the first Vice Chancellor. This new University is located very adjacent to the Govt medical college, Thrissur.

As one of its first herculean tasks with an embedded responsibility to the society, the Planning Commision and the Ministry of Health and Famliy Welfare of Kerala has endorsed them to formulate a Health Policy for the state.

As a first step KUHAS decides to conduct a series of symposiums and brainstorming sessions in this relation with a perspective of attaining clarity about the goal and in the meantime get a better clarity about the possible challenges.The University desired to draw on the selected participants' experience and expertise to enable it to decide on the directions, activities, governance and administrative structure of the proposed School of Health Policy and Planning of the University.The policy shall be unique in every way and the first of its kind taken up by any state of india.

I, representing IHMA, Dr Rejikumar representing NRHM and a couple of other Homoeopaths from state academic division had taken part in the first symposium conducted on 5th August 2010. The total participants were near fifty and it was a very impressive event with a huge unteraction and was represented by all sectors in health dept - general and academics, planning commission and the human resources dept of the state. Prof Prabhath Patnaik, Vice Chairman, Planning Commission and Dr B Ekbal, Former VC, Kerala University played a pro-active role in giving the symposium a platform and a direction to envision the Health Policy.

The other speakers were
Dr Dileep Mavalankar, Prof IIM Ahamadabad - on need for and models for a policy support institution in health.
Dr VR Muraleedharan, Prof, Dept of Humanities & Social Sciences, IIT Chennai - on Health policy making in India - a historical outline.
Dr D Narayana, Prof. Centre for Development studies, Trivandrum - on need for evidence based health policy
Dr V Ramankutty, Prof. Achutha Menon Centre for Health Science Studies, SCTIMST Trivandrum - on Policy priorities in health in Kerala

The next in the series is in October third week at cochin and would highlight infectious diseases and an effective modus operandi to tackle them better.

I am certain that the gradual outcome shall add as an impact with update and revision to every existing legalities related to health services and academics in the state.

During the symposium, Prof Patnaik also envisioned a state funded (NHS like) programme (comparable to UK scenario) planned and developed more effectively displacing the consortium of private international health insurance giants who are fundamentally profit making companies keen on using their army of lawyers to rule out delivery of benefits to policy holders using loopholes.

I shall certainly update you with more info as they happen. I believe that this initiative shall induct a sea change in how things happen in his state w.r.t. heathcare delivered to the masses and shall probably set yet another milestone in history of healthcare.

Warm regards

Dr Sreevals G Menon MD
National Mass Media Officer, Indian Homoeopathic Medical Association 
Phone- +-91-9349117833 [Direct]