Tamil Nadu Health Minister Ma. Subramanian on Friday said that various steps are being taken to ensure all healthcare facilities are available to people living in hilly areas in the State.
The Minister, in the presence of Erode Collector H. Krishnanunni, Mayor S. Nagarathinam and Anthiyur MLA A.G. Venkatachalam, took part in marking Global Handwashing Day, at the Government Erode Medical College and Hospital at Perundurai.
Addressing health staff and students, the Minister said that the Department for Medical and Family Welfare is implementing various schemes to benefit the people. “Steps are being taken to ensure healthcare facilities are available to people in hilly areas of districts, Krishnagiri, The Nilgiris, Kodaikanal in Dindigul, Talavadi and Bargur in Erode, Salem and Namakkal,” he said.
The Minister said an increasing number of people were being diagnosed with cancer in the districts of Erode, Ranipet and Kanniyakumari and screening camps will be held in these districts soon.
Pointing out that many villages are located in hilly areas in Erode district, the Minister said that postmortem examination centres are located only at the block-level hospitals. “Based on the request of the people in Talavadi Hill, steps were taken to establish a postmortem centre at the Government Upgraded Primary Health Centre (PHC) in Talavadi,” he added. Also, three ambulances were inducted into service in Bargur Hills, he said.
The Minister later inspected the PHC at Karipatti, in order to look into a proposal to conduct an additional building.
Narnaware Manish Shankarrao, Additional Collector (Development) and Project Director of District Rural Development Agency, N. Ponmani, Assistant Collector (Training), Dean Valli Sathyamoorthy and doctors were present. .
