Pediatrics, derived from the Greek words “pais” meaning “child” and “iatros” meaning “doctor” or “healer,” is a specialized branch of medicine dedicated to the health, development, and diseases of infants, children, and adolescents.

At our Pediatrics department, we are committed to providing comprehensive training in all aspects of pediatric care. Through state-of-the-art teaching methods, including clinical bedside classes, outpatient department-based teaching, lectures, and hands-on patient interaction during house surgency and post-graduation, we ensure that our students are well-equipped to handle a wide range of pediatric cases.

Our goal is to prepare students to manage pediatric patients at all levels of care, from community settings to tertiary care facilities. We cover various subspecialties within pediatrics, including Neonatology, Pediatric Surgery, Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, Pediatric Cardiology, Pediatric Critical Care, Pediatric Nephrology, Pediatric Neurology, Pediatric Pulmonology, and Social Pediatrics.

By offering a comprehensive and dynamic training program, we aim to produce skilled pediatricians capable of providing high-quality care to children of all ages and backgrounds, ultimately improving the health and well-being of our younger generation.

The department of Pediatrics was inaugurated in JMMCRI on September 1969 under the aegis of Dr Sunny George. Right from the days of its inception, the department has been a tertiary referral center for the districts in and around Thrissur including Palakkad and Malappuram for all child related health issues and illnesses. It started as a 14 bedded hospital but has now grown to a bed strength of 120 with an additional 10 bedded Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. It was one of the first hospitals in Kerala to become certified as “baby friendly” under the national Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative program. In the 1980s, training of post graduates was started under the DNB training program. The training of undergraduates was started in 2003. The MD Pediatrics training program was started in 2011. The surgical division exclusively dedicated to the surgical problems of children was started in May 2005.

It currently occupies the fifth and sixth floors of the St Thomas block of the college building.

The surgical division exclusively dedicated to the surgical problems of children was started in May 2005. The department functions in close association with the department of Paediatrics and Neonatology. All the common as well as complex problems of neonates, infants and children up to the age of thirteen are taken care by the department. Excellent supportive care of a Neonatal ICU is available to take round the clock care of sick and critical neonates.