Our Story

The origins of Sree Mookambika Institutions are deeply rooted in a tradition of community service and social responsibility. Inspired by the vision of Shri K. V. Krishnan Nair, who believed that meaningful service begins within one’s own community, his son Dr. C. K. Velayuthan Nair and daughter-in-law Dr. Rema V. Nair dedicated their lives to providing accessible healthcare and quality education in their native region of Kulasekharam in Kanyakumari district.

Though a successful and highly regarded Professor in Manipal, it was always the Chairman’s deep-rooted desire to fulfil the promise he had made to his father — to return to his hometown and continue the tradition of serving the people through quality healthcare. Guided by this commitment, Dr. Velayuthan Nair and his wife, Dr. Rema V. Nair, returned to Kanyakumari to serve their community. The foundation of Sree Mookambika Institutions is built upon these humble beginnings and high ideals of service.

This commitment took shape in 1986 with the establishment of Velayudhan Pillai Memorial Hospital, named in honour of Dr. Velayuthan Nair’s grandfather, a respected Ayurveda practitioner of Kanyakumari district. The hospital began as a modest rural healthcare facility addressing the essential medical needs of the surrounding communities and gradually evolved into a trusted centre for compassionate and affordable care.

With a strong sense of social responsibility and commitment to inclusive healthcare, numerous medical camps were organized in rural and tribal regions, ensuring that even the most remote communities had access to medical services. Patients requiring admission were brought to the hospital and treated free of cost. These initiatives provided immense relief to many poor families, particularly during challenging times such as the 1990 floods and the 2004 tsunami, when the institution extended support and care to affected communities.

Dr. Rema V. Nair has also played an important role in community development and public health initiatives. As the former Chairman of the Family Planning Association of India, she led several awareness and outreach programmes, working closely with organizations such as the Mahila Mandal. She is widely recognized in the region for her free family planning services and educational programmes conducted for women and families.

To further strengthen and institutionalize these efforts, the Padanilam Welfare Trust was formally established on 27 February 1992 (Reg. No. 20 of 1992) as a public charitable trust. The Trust was founded with the vision of advancing healthcare, education, research, and social welfare, particularly among rural and underserved populations of southern Tamil Nadu.

The Trust was built on the principles of inclusiveness and service, working to improve the quality of life of communities irrespective of caste, creed, religion, or socioeconomic background. Its activities focus on:

• Promoting accessible healthcare services and medical education
• Supporting the upliftment of rural populations, especially women, children, and marginalized communities
• Establishing educational institutions, healthcare facilities, and research centres
• Creating vocational and professional training opportunities for youth
• Promoting preventive healthcare, sanitation awareness, nutrition, and environmental health
• Organizing community outreach programmes and public health initiatives
• Supporting social welfare activities including rehabilitation, disability care, elderly care, and health awareness programmes

From its humble beginnings as a rural healthcare initiative, this vision has steadily grown into the Sree Mookambika Group of Institutions, a comprehensive healthcare and educational ecosystem.

Today, the group includes institutions dedicated to:

• Medical education and tertiary healthcare services
• Dental education and clinical services
• Nursing and allied health sciences education
• Integrative healthcare including Ayurveda and traditional medicine
• Specialized oncology services through the Sree Mookambika Cancer Centre
• School education and community-focused academic initiatives
• Research and innovation centres supporting interdisciplinary scientific advancement

Together, these institutions serve thousands of patients each year while educating and training a large number of students and healthcare professionals. The system continues to emphasize affordability, accessibility, academic excellence, ethical practice, and community engagement.

Guided by its founding philosophy of compassionate service and inclusive development, the Trust remains committed to strengthening rural healthcare, expanding opportunities in professional education, and advancing research that addresses regional and national healthcare needs.