RGCB steps in to support animal husbandry sector, opens first vet medical services unit at Oyoor
Trivandrum / September 20, 2025
Thiruvananthapuram, Sept. 20: In a big boost to health care in animal husbandry sector, Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (BRIC-RGCB) has opened its first Medical Laboratory services unit at Oyoor in Kollam district with state-of-the-art facilities to provide a wide range of veterinary clinical services.
The focus of the multi-speciality Diagnostic Centre, opened by Kerala Minister for Animal Husbandry and Dairy Development Smt J Chinchurani in the presence of RGCB Director Prof Chandrabhas Narayana on Friday, is on veterinary clinical services. However, the laboratory will also provide diagnostic services to people at affordable rates.
The unit was set up in association with the Animal Husbandry Department, Government of Kerala, at a building provided by Velinelloor Village Panchayat.
“This facility comes as a big support to the animal husbandry sector in the state, especially for the livestock and poultry activities. We will open more such units in different parts of the state,” Prof Narayana said.
The unit will, in due course, be developed into a nodal centre for research activities in the animal husbandry and agriculture sector, he said.
The unit is equipped with most modern equipment for a range of veterinary clinical tests and quick delivery of results.
The service of the unit will be made available to the entire Kollam district, for which RGCB will be starting collection and reporting centres in government veterinary hospitals and dispensaries.
In the next phase of the project, RGCB’s research wing will make available its services to prevent outbreak of diseases afflicting livestock and scientific precautions needed to ward off such eventualities. This will be done with the cooperation of the Animal Husbandry Department.
RGCB is already collaborating with various projects of Animal Husbandry Department and the Kerala Livestock Development Board aimed at augmenting production of milk, egg and meat. It is also working on research projects for increasing the shelf life of the dairy and poultry product, besides their value addition.
Referring to the existing services supporting public health services, Prof Narayana said RGCB, in association with the State Health and Family Welfare Department, has set up medical laboratory services units in all government hospitals, including the Government Medical College Hospital, in Thiruvananthapuram district. Also, such facilities are available in General Hospital at Pala and other places in Kottayam district.
This service functions in hub-and-spoke model with the main hospitals having laboratories and CHCs, FHCs and PHCs serving as collection and reporting centres. This service is available in as many as 300 centres in different parts of the state.
The Diagnostic and Research Laboratory of RGCB in Cochin Cancer Research Centre at Kalamassery is in its final stages of completion. Besides providing clinical services to patients, this facility will also serve as a cancer research centre. As per the agreement with the State Government, a 30,000 sq ft space has been made available to RGCB. The laboratory being developed will be a model for the entire country.
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