Rs 300-cr 400-Bed Multi-Super Speciality Hospital to Come up in Perambur

Announcing this in the Assembly, Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay said the proposed hospital would ensure access to high-quality specialised medical services for people in North Chennai.

The proposed facility in Perambur, Mr Vijay's constituency, will also help people from across North Chennai where access to advanced government healthcare has been a long-standing concern.

The government will also raise the annual coverage limit under the Chief Minister's Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme from the existing Rs 5 lakh to Rs 25 lakh, significantly expanding the financial protection available to beneficiaries.

In another major initiative, medical and surgical procedures for transgender persons will be brought under the insurance scheme at seven government medical college hospitals, including Stanley Medical College in Chennai, and government medical college hospitals in Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi, Chengalpattu, Tiruvarur, Dharmapuri and Kanyakumari.

The government has also announced a Rs 351-crore programme to expand nursing and paramedical education. The initiative comes against the backdrop of no new government nursing colleges being established in the State since 2014.

Seven new government nursing colleges will be established with 660 BSc. Nursing seats, while 1,925 additional seats will be created in existing nursing colleges and schools. Another 2,778 seats will be added across 12 paramedical courses, including physiotherapy, along with 735 additional seats in pharmacy courses. In all, around 6,098 additional seats will be created.

Mr Vijay also announced the expansion of the Chief Minister's Cancer Care Mission at a cost of Rs 673.44 crore to strengthen cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment facilities across the State. As part of the mission, an Integrated Cancer Care Block with ground plus 14 floors will be constructed at Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital in Chennai at a cost of Rs 471.80 crore.

Five Regional Cancer Care Centres will be established at government medical college hospitals in Thanjavur, Coimbatore, Madurai, Tirunelveli and Viluppuram. The first centre will come up at Madurai Rajaji Hospital as a ground plus eight-floor facility at a cost of Rs 84 crore.

A further Rs 106.17 crore will be provided to government medical college hospitals for robotic surgery, Linear Accelerator (LINAC) radiation treatment, modern medical equipment and targeted and immunotherapy treatments. Another Rs 2.77 crore will be allocated for training doctors and providing nutritional support to patients.

As part of cancer prevention efforts, HPV DNA testing will be carried out for 1.22 lakh women in Dharmapuri, Viluppuram, Tiruvannamalai, Perambalur and Ariyalur districts at a cost of Rs 8.70 crore.

Emphasising the government's objective of ensuring equitable access to healthcare, Mr. Vijay said a person's income should not determine the value of their life and that healthcare should not be a privilege but a fundamental right.

The government, he said, was working to progressively remove barriers to healthcare, including poverty, distance, shortage of doctors, cost of medicines, lack of awareness, waiting time and gaps in emergency services, while ensuring quality medical care without discrimination between the rich and poor or between rural and urban populations.

North Chennai residents thank govt for multi-super speciality hospital at Perambur

T. SUDHEESH I DC

CHENNAI: The Federation of North Chennai Residents Welfare Associations (FNCRWA) has welcomed the Tamil Nadu Government's announcement to establish a 400-bed multi-super speciality hospital at Perambur at an estimated cost of Rs 300 crore, describing it as a victory for the collective efforts of the people of North Chennai.

FNCRWA president T.K. Shanmugam said setting up a high-end hospital in Perambur had been one of the long-pending demands of North Chennai residents and that the federation had repeatedly taken up the issue with ministers, government officials and the departments concerned.

The announcement was a significant development for the people of North Chennai and demonstrated how sustained efforts by residents to highlight their genuine demands could draw the government's attention and lead to change, he said.

“We consider this announcement a victory for the collective strength of the people of North Chennai and not something that belongs to any individual or organisation,” Mr. Shanmugam said.

He thanked the government for announcing the hospital and said it would address the healthcare needs of people in North Chennai. The federation urged the government to implement the project at the earliest and ensure that residents had access to quality, modern and free advanced healthcare services.

Meanwhile, the FNCRWA called upon the government to address the long-standing issue of the Kodungaiyur dump yard permanently. It also urged the government to drop the proposed waste-to-energy incinerator project, which residents fear could pose a major environmental and health threat to North Chennai.

“We will continue to raise our voice for the development of North Chennai and fight for the legitimate demands of the people,” Mr. Shanmugam said.