CHD Registry: Kerala Govt signs MoU with Apollo hospitals to train cardiologists in six medical colleges

Chennai: In a move to strengthen newborn screening for heart issues, Tamil Nadu Health Minister Ma Subramanian on Wednesday announced that the state government is implementing a congenital heart defects (CHD) registry. 

In addition, the state government has signed an MoU with Apollo Hospitals to train government doctors on congenital heart defects (CHD) in six medical colleges of Tamil Nadu.

Addressing a seminar of government doctors at Guindy near here, he said that an amount of Rs 22.43 crore has been allocated for the project and that screening equipment will be sent to all government hospitals in the state.

The state Health Department organized the two-day seminar for government doctors on the establishment of the CHD registry and for discussions on comprehensive screening of newborn babies for CHD.

Ma Subramanian said that around 150 doctors from Coimbatore, Madurai, Salem, Thanjavur, Tirunelveli, and Vellore government medical colleges and hospitals have been trained for the registry, and this would help them screen newborns and provide required treatment and to monitor these babies.

The minister said that the state government has developed health infrastructure in the government hospitals including a tuberculosis registry, cancer registry, and health registry systems.

As per a recent media report in The Hindu, Ma Subramanian said, For identification and early management of children with congenital heart diseases, the National Health Mission (NHM), Tamil Nadu, entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with Apollo Hospitals. Through this, doctors at Apollo Hospitals will train government cardiology teams in six medical colleges in Madurai, Tirunelveli, Vellore, Coimbatore, Thanjavur and Salem to build their capacities for the early management of congenital heart diseases.

The 'Makkal Thedi Maruthuvum' (emergency health care at doorstep) scheme, implemented after the DMK government assumed office, has become a major solace to the people of the state.