Kerala has expanded the second phase of Operation Thufan, an anti-drug initiative that brings together the state police, government hospitals, private hospitals, technology providers and educational institutions. Home Minister Ramesh Chennithala inaugurated a training programme for police officers at Amrita Hospital in Kochi, where participants were briefed on coordinated enforcement, treatment and rehabilitation systems.
The programme is intended to make the state’s response to drug use more scientific and comprehensive, according to the minister. The initiative includes police training, hospital-based care, telemedicine, rehabilitation and digital coordination between enforcement agencies and medical institutions.
Chennithala said the event marked the second phase of Operation Thufan. All government hospitals in Kerala and around 35 private hospitals are cooperating with the programme, according to the report. The participation of both public and private healthcare institutions places the initiative across the state’s existing medical network rather than limiting it to police action alone.
A software platform called Thufan One, developed by Amrita Technologies, was introduced to coordinate activities under the programme. The initiative also includes Kutti Petti and Police Bro, systems developed in cooperation with Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham to bring reports of drug-related concerns at school level to the attention of the police.
Other components presented at the programme included Thufan-Thambi, an Amrita Hospital initiative focused on helping tribal communities become free from drug dependence, and Thufan Care, which covers police-hospital coordination, telemedicine, treatment and rehabilitation. The programme therefore links reporting, enforcement and medical intervention within a single operating framework, based on the details provided at the event.
The training programme drew 650 police officers from 473 police stations across Kerala. Doctors from Amrita Hospital in Kochi conducted the classes, including K.P. Girish Kumar, C. Sreekumar, K.R. Thankappan, Dinesh, Bindu R., Ramakrishnan U.K., Aswathy S. and Ranjith S. Bhadran.
The event was attended by senior police officials and other public representatives, including Additional Director General of Police P. Vijayan, legislator T.J. Vinod, Kochi City Police Commissioner S. Kaaliraj Mahesh Kumar, Assistant Commissioner T.D. Sunil Kumar and state nodal officer Putta Vimaladitya. Mata Amritanandamayi Math vice-chairman Swami Amritaswaroopananda Puri was also a chief guest.
Amrita Hospitals Group medical director Dr Prem Nair, Thufan-Amrita team chief coordinator Dr Jaggu, Thufan-Thambi legal adviser advocate K. Anand, state coordinator C.K. Pradeep and others addressed the programme. The next phase will involve continued coordination between participating police stations, hospitals and the programme’s technology and treatment systems.
