Tamil Nadu to fill vacant doctor posts at Govt Hospitals within 10 days: Health Minister

He made this declaration on Tuesday while inaugurating an MRI scanning facility and multiple newly constructed hospital buildings at the Thoothukudi Government Medical College Hospital, reports The Hindu. While addressing the crowd, the District Collector K. Elambahavath requested the minister to initiate the process for filling up the vacancies in the medical college hospital. “Hence, all vacancies in the government medical college, government and taluk hospitals will be filled up within the next 10 days,” the minister stated while assuring the collector.

Highlighting the state’s commitment to strengthening public healthcare infrastructure, the Minister stated that MRI scanners, each costing around Rs. 7 crore, had been sanctioned for 18 government medical institutions over the past four years. Installation at Dharmapuri Government Medical College Hospital is nearing completion. The MRI scans, which typically cost about Rs. 8,000 in private facilities, are being offered for Rs. 2,500 in government hospitals, and are completely free for patients under the Chief Minister’s Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme, reports the Daily. 

Furthering the cancer care capabilities in the state, PET CT scan services are already operational at government medical colleges in Tirunelveli, Kancheepuram, Coimbatore, Salem, and Thanjavur. These facilities will soon be expanded to Thiruvallur, Villupuram, Tiruchi, and Chennai’s Kalaignar Centenary Super Speciality Hospital, reports the Daily.

The Minister also noted that doctor posts in all 2,286 primary health centres have been successfully filled, with efforts underway to deploy postgraduate-qualified doctors to taluk and medical college hospitals. According to the Daily, over the past four years, 1,474 hospital buildings have been constructed across the state. A major development in Thoothukudi is the ongoing construction of a seven-storey super-speciality block with 650 beds, being built at a cost of Rs. 136.15 crore, which will be completed soon.

Mr. Subramanian shared that the state has requested the central government to release funds for the establishment of 50 new primary health centres and 500 sub-health centres. During the same event, he and Member of Parliament Kanimozhi laid the foundation stone for 23 additional hospital buildings in various locations in the district, a project worth Rs. 19.23 crore. Ms. Kanimozhi added that the Minister had committed to approving a PET CT scan facility for the Thoothukudi Government Medical College Hospital, as part of the state’s push to bring government hospital services on par with those in the private sector.