Keralas Former Koroh Health Employees Launch Cooperative Healthcare Tech Initiative

Thiruvananthapuram, October 29 (Daily Kiran) : Former employees of Koroh Health in Kochi are taking a significant step towards establishing a cooperative healthcare technology company. This initiative, supported by Kerala’s Cooperation Minister M.M. Liju, aims to create job opportunities for over 800 professionals who lost their positions when the company shut down.

The founders met with the minister in Thiruvananthapuram to present their project report and seek support for the swift registration of a cooperative society focused on healthcare IT and revenue cycles. Their goal is to transform job losses into collective entrepreneurial opportunities. By utilizing their skills, these professionals plan to offer services in healthcare IT, medical coding, billing, and related fields.

The committee has applied for registration as a primary cooperative society. Following this, a virtual meeting was held, allowing professionals from across Kerala to discuss the venture. So far, 26 individuals have registered as founding members, and preliminary discussions have begun to secure subcontracting work in healthcare IT and revenue cycle management.

Under the proposed model, professionals will collectively own and operate the enterprise, sharing responsibilities for securing work and providing services to clients. This approach seeks to create employment through collective ownership rather than relying on traditional employer-employee structures. It also aims to extend Kerala’s cooperative tradition into the technology sector, enabling skilled professionals to collaborate on business projects.

The initiative draws inspiration from the Indian Coffee House, established by prominent communist leader A.K. Gopalan. Workers affected by the closure of coffee houses organized themselves to continue the business through a cooperative model. The first Indian Coffee House opened in Thalassery in 1958, showcasing an example of collective ownership by workers.

A CEO of a cooperative consulting firm in Kochi noted that while coffee house employees had a counter and a kettle, today’s technology professionals possess laptops and specialized skills. They require an appropriate organizational structure, which Kerala’s cooperative tradition can provide.

If successful, this model could create new opportunities for recent graduates, women returning to work, and skilled professionals in smaller towns. Immediate priorities include ensuring registration and obtaining service contracts to enable members to start operations. The founders believe this initiative can introduce a new model for skilled workers looking to rebuild their livelihoods through collective enterprise.