The country’s Prime Minister has lauded Tamil Nadu’s healthcare system as a successful model that should be replicated in other States, Health Minister C. Vijaya Baskar said on Friday.
“The World Health Organisation’s head has also stressed that other States should follow Tamil Nadu’s model. Former chief Minister ‘Amma’ has said that we should not compare our health system with neighbouring States but with developed nations,” he said at the inauguration of new facilities at Government Vellore Medical College Hospital (GVMCH).
He said doctors, nurses and students should be proud to be part of the healthcare system. “You should be proud to be part of the State’s healthcare system. Tamil Nadu is the number one State and is a well-performing one. The Health and Family Welfare Department is in the forefront in the country,” he added.
He inaugurated a renovated and upgraded Paediatric Intensive Care Unit and Human Breast Milk Bank at GVMCH. The Minister said that Human Breast Milk Banks have been opened in nine places in Tamil Nadu.
Schemes worth ₹50 cr.
This year, the government has sanctioned facilities/equipment worth ₹50 crore for GVMCH, he said, adding that this included a MRI scan equipment at ₹6.5 crore, Cath Lab at ₹3.64 crore, ₹12 crore for centre of excellence for Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care, ₹14,71 crore under Japan International Cooperation Agency scheme including for orthopaedic equipment, C.T. scan and mammogram, and ₹one crore for District Early Intervention Centre.
Work on the Cath Lab will be completed in a month, he said, adding that an interventional cardiologist would be appointed for the facility. With this facility, people will no longer need to travel to Chennai for angioplasty, the Minister said. He noted that the centre of excellence for obstetric and newborn care will be established as 1,200 deliveries were conducted at GVMCH every month.
Replying to a demand raised by A.P. Nandhakumar, Member of Legislative Assembly, Anaicut constituency to establish a sewage treatment plant, Dr. Vijaya Baskar said the government has allotted funds to set up the plant at GVMCH and work will commence soon. The MLA had said that sewage from GVMCH was being drained into Sapthalipuram Eri. As the sewage was stagnating in the waterbody, residents of the nearby village of Pennathur were faced with drinking water contamination.
25 new PHCS
“In the last seven years, 25 new Primary Health Centres have been opened in the State. This included a new PHC at Chinnapallikuppam in Anaicut constituency,” he said. He also said that the emergency units would be established at the Government Pentland Hospital.
On the occasion, he presented ‘Amma’ kits to 229 children, who had undergone cardiac surgeries, and to 46 babies, who were born weighing less than one kilo and gained weight after care.
The government had sanctioned ₹1.10 crore for equipment for the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit. It was renovated at a cost of ₹35 lakh – the fund was generated by the Department of Paediatrics of GVMCH under the Chief Minister’s Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme. The breast milk bank has come up at a cost of ₹12 lakh. A comprehensive text of paediatric intensive care unit protocol was released. Ministers K.C. Veeramani and Nilofer Kafeel, Collector S. A. Raman, GVMCH dean R. Shanthimalar and Head of Department of Paediatrics, E.Theranirajan were present.
