The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Giving them a new lease of life

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Wednesday, Nov 04, 2009
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Giving them a new lease of life

A.V.Ragunathan

Beneficiaries of health insurance scheme converge to thank Chief Minister

— Photo: C.Venkatachalapathy

Higher Education Minister K.Ponmudy interacting with child beneficiaries of the Kalaignar Health Insurance Scheme for Lifesaving Treatment in Villupuram on Tuesday.

VILLUPURAM: It was an assemblage of a different kind at the Villupuram Collectorate on Monday. As many as 323 people, of varied age groups, were seated in the conference hall, savouring biscuits and bottled water.

They were not attending any training programme or orientation course. Hailing from different walks of life, they all have one thing in common: they are recuperating from recent surgery that gave them a new lease of life.

They gathered there with the purpose of conveying their thanks to Chief Minister M.Karunanidhi for having saved them from debilitating diseases and instilled in them hopes to start life anew through the Kalaignar Health Insurance Scheme for Lifesaving Treatments.

The youngest among them was Prakash Raj (2) and the oldest P.Krishnamulu (69), who both underwent cardio-thoracic surgery. While five-year-old Bhagyalakshmi was treated for oncology (cancerous tumour), P.Gowri (36) was treated for neurology problem.

In their presence, Higher Education Minister K.Ponmudy became nostalgic and shared with them a personal tragedy in which he lost his youngest brother to poliomyelitis. Had such a scheme existed then, his sibling could have been saved, Mr Ponmudy reminisced.

Even through the Varumum Kappom Thittam and the school health camps, the life-threatening ailments were diagnosed but the patients were wondering as to how to get treatment with meagre resources at their disposal.

Hence, the health insurance scheme had come as a boon to them to get treatment in hospitals of their choice, the Minister observed.

Coordinated efforts

District Collector R.Palanisamy said that it was only through coordinated efforts of the Education and Health departments, and with the strong backing of the district administration, that so many patients could benefit to the extent of Rs 1.69 crore within short period.

He emphatically said that all the surgeries were performed successfully and there was no complaint of any complication.

For their share, the government hospitals and the Primary Health Centres were rendering the post-operative care.

Deputy Director of Health Services K.Krishnaraj and nodal officer J.Murthy had prepared a master chart containing the details of the specialties available in various private hospitals.

The counselling centre in the Health Department was guiding the patients, particularly those from the rural areas, on where to get treatment.

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