In 1973 Chithira Thirunal Balarama Varma, the last Maharajah of Travancore, gifted a multi-storied building to the Government of Kerala.

This was followed by a Biomedical Technology wing, established at the Satelmond Palace, Poojapura,[1] nearly 11 km (6.8 mi) away, a grab from Sethu Lakshmi Bayi, the aunt of Balarama Varma.

[5] The official emblem of the institute honours the symbol of the royal family of Travancore, the Shankh (conch) of Sree Padmanabhaswamy.

The Biomedical Technology Wing has played a pioneering role in the establishment of a medical device industry base in India by successfully developing and transferring technologies for diverse medical products such as disposable blood bag system, mechanical heart valve prosthesis, blood oxygenators, ophthalmic sponge, concentric needle electrode, hydroxyapatite based biocermaic porous granules with many more in the pipeline with industrial collaboration.

It conducts clinics in cardiology, cardiovascular and thoracic, neurology, neurosurgery, radiology, physical medicine and rehabilitation for the public.