Tamil Nadu to Focus on Improving Medical Infrastructure
Chennai: The Tamil Nadu Health Minister, M. Subramanian, recently announced the government's objective of improving the infrastructure and services available in government hospitals and medical colleges.
It was also announced that the Chief Minister's Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme would be implemented for five more years from January 2022 at a cost of ₹1,248.29 crore.
According to a recent report by The Hindu, Health Minister Subramanian also stated that hybrid ICU units would be established at all 25 medical college hospitals and 18 district headquarters hospitals at a total cost of ₹97.49 crore. The government hospitals at Paramakudi, Udumalaipettai, Palani, Hosur, Vedaranyam, Valparai, Thiruthuraipoondi and Poonamallee would be upgraded with additional buildings at at a total cost of ₹72 crore.
It is intended to provide equipment and drugs for patients suffering from thalassemia and haemophilia to 10 government medical college hospitals along with the establishment of liquid medical oxygen plants and pipelines at 57 comprehensive emergency obstetrics and newborn care centres.
The government intends to upgrade block-level hospitals and urban hospitals along with distributing equipment to primary health centres, urban primary health centres and health sub-centres. These centres would be upgraded as health and wellness centres in the next five years with ₹4,280 crore from the 15th Finance Commission.
The 'Makkalai Thedi Maruthuvam' scheme was also announced, which would be extended to all village panchayats, town panchayats, municipalities and municipal corporations at a total cost of ₹258 crore.
In addition to the above, the Tamil Nadu government also intends to establish central monitoring nursing stations, along with an additional 1,583 oxygen ICU beds, at 35 government medical college hospitals at a total cost of ₹266.73 crore. This comes as a welcome news, especially in the wake of the COVID pandemic, which exposed the dismal state of hospitals in the country, adds the Hindu.
With these measures in place, the government hopes to improve the face of the medical infrastructure in the state.
