Kottayam: For the first time ever a higher education institution in Kerala, outside medical colleges, has set up a permanent museum on anatomy for academic purposes.

The Department of Anatomy, School of Medical Education (SME), Gandhinagar, Kottayam launched the initiative with an exhibition, ‘Anatomia 2K22’ here on Monday.

SME comes under CPAS (Centre for Professional and Advanced Studies).

Human anatomy is the study of the human body, its parts and organ systems. The institution claims its collection of anatomical models is the largest in Kerala, outside medical colleges.

Besides the entire human skeletal system, comprising the Ossicles to Femur, the smallest and largest bones respectively in the body to the 22 individual bones of the skull, Anatomia has displayed organ specimens, fetal development models and even cadavers.

“Nearly 150 students from various institutions in the state and even the general public visited the exhibition today,” said Jubeena CS, coordinator of Anatomia. “We expect more visitors on the final day (November 16).”

Anatomia even had a live cadaver demonstration that offered visitors a chance to peer into the viscera of the human body, a chance limited to students of medicine and allied courses.

“After the exhibition, the exhibits will become a permanent installation and can be accessed by students from a high school level on. That could be a game changer for young minds interested in science,” said Suma V Madhavan, Vice-Principal and coordinator of SME’s Internal Quality Assurance Cell.

Jugan J, Principal of SME, said they already have plans to expand the museum with more models and slides. SME, Gandhinagar is the only institution in Kerala offering an M.Sc course in Anatomy.

Anatomia was hosted under the stewardship of Jayachandran TP, Joint Director of SME with Rajisha Rajendran as the convenor and Sreejith TD and Amal KR as the student coordinators.