The Health and Family Welfare Department is an administrative department under the Government of Kerala, responsible for public health, medical services, family welfare, and the management of healthcare institutions across the state. The department formulates health policies, oversees statewide health infrastructure, implements national health programs, and monitors public health initiatives.[2]
It is one of the largest administrative departments of Kerala and functions through various directorates, autonomous bodies, and missions. The department also oversees medical education, preventive health programs, health insurance schemes, and family welfare initiatives. It has its headquarters in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.
Leadership
The Department of Health and Family Welfare is headed by a Cabinet Minister of the Government of Kerala, and the incumbent Minister is Veena George.[3][4][5][6]
Administratively, the department is headed by a Principal Secretary to Government, an IAS officer. The Principal Secretary is supported by Additional Secretaries, Deputy Secretaries, Under Secretaries, and other staff posted in the Secretariat.[7]
This is the main operational department of the Health and Family Welfare Department. It's headed by a Director, who functions as the Head of department. The Director of Health Services supervise and administer the allopathic medical institutions such as District Hospitals, Taluk Hospitals, Community Health Centres (CHCs), Public Health Centres (PHCs) and other government health clinics across the state. Each of 14 district has a District Medical Officer (DMO), who supervise government allopathic health institutions in the district.[10] Each government hospital is under control of Superintendent, and Each Public Health Centres is under Medical Officer (I/C).[14]
Directorate of Medical Education (DME)
The Director of Medical Education is responsible for administration of government medical colleges and medical education institutions in the state.[11]
The Government Medical College Hospitals functions under the administrative control the DME. The Department is responsible for supervision and administration of medical colleges, dental colleges, nursing colleges and other medical institutions.
Major Institutions and Bodies under the Department:
State Health Systems Resource Centre – Kerala (SHSRC)
Public Health Laboratories and Research Centres
Drugs Control Department
The Drugs Control Department, formed in 1961, is the statutory authority responsible for regulating the manufacture, sale, and distribution of drugs and cosmetics in the state. It enforces the provisions of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 to ensure the quality, safety, and efficacy of medicines and to prevent the circulation of spurious or substandard drugs, thereby safeguarding public health.
The Drugs Control Department is headed by a Drugs Controller and assisted by deputy drugs controllers and assistant drugs controllers at headquarters. The enforcement wing consists senior/regional drugs inspectors and drugs inspectors who functions at the field level. The department also has a Drugs Testing Laboratory, known as the Government Analyst Laboratory, at Thiruvananthapuram, headed by a Chief Government Analyst.[15]
Commissionerate of Food Safety
The Commissionerate of Food Safety enforces food safety laws to ensure safe and hygienic food, prevent adulteration, and protect public health. The department is headed by a Commissioner of Food Safety, an IAS cadre officer, and has its headquarters in Thiruvananthapuram.
The department has two primary wings: the Enforcement Wing and the Analytical Wing. The Enforcement Wing consists of four regional-level offices headed by Deputy Commissioners of Food Safety, 14 district-level offices headed by Assistant Commissioners of Food Safety, and 140 circle-level offices headed by Food Safety Officers. The Food Safety Circle Offices are coterminous with the State’s Legislative Assembly constituencies.[16][17]
The Analytical Wing comprises the Government Analytical Laboratory at Thiruvananthapuram, two regional laboratories at Kozhikode and Ernakulam, and a District Food Testing Laboratory at Pathanamthitta.[18]
Organisations
The following is the autonomous institutions functioning under the department.[12]
The Directorate of Health Services (DHS) look after the administration and supervision of the following government hospitals and institutions. These institutions are governed by respective local-self government institutions.[19][14]
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