From 1,945 MBBS seats in 2010-2011, the number of medical seats in the State has risen to 3,400 now. In the coming years, 11 new government medical colleges will offer 1,650 more seats, Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami said.
“To enable more students from rural areas and economically backward sections to realise their dream of becoming doctors, the State government, in a short period, has got the Centre’s approval to establish new medical colleges in 11 districts — Ramanathapuram, Virudhunagar, Dindigul, the Nilgiris, Ariyalur, Nagapattinam, Kallakurichi, Tiruvallur, Tiruppur, Namakkal and Krishnagiri. Foundation stones have been laid and construction is under way. The State government has taken measures to create an additional 1,650 MBBS seats in the coming years,” he said after inaugurating the Fortis Hospital in Vadapalani here on Monday.
The State government had passed a Bill to provide 7.5% horizontal reservation in medical admissions to enable students of government schools to become doctors, he said.
The Chief Minister emphasised that medicine was a “fine art” and not a “business”. Listing out the State’s achievements in healthcare, the Chief Minister said: “Last year, the infant mortality rate came down from 16 to 15 (deaths per 1,000 live births), while the State has already achieved the 2030 target of Sustainable Development Goals in reducing the maternal mortality rate.”
A total of 254 new primary health centres (PHC) have been established, and 166 PHCs upgraded. In the last three years, 56 CT scan machines, 22 MRI scan machines, 18 cath labs and 530 dialysis machines have been provided to government hospitals, he said.
He added that to enhance cancer care in the government sector, Linear Accelerators were being installed at 10 government hospitals, at a cost of ₹190 crore. Work to upgrade the Adyar Cancer Institute, at ₹120 crore, too was nearing completion, while the Government Arignar Anna Memorial Cancer Hospital in Kancheepuram was being upgraded at a cost of ₹120 crore, he said.
“Along with government hospitals, private facilities too are functioning well in the State, providing quality healthcare to the people,” he said.
Health Minister C. Vijayabaskar, Health Secretary J. Radhakrishnan, Ashutosh Raghuvanshi, managing director and CEO, Fortis Healthcare Limited, and Anil Vinayak, group chief operating officer, Fortis Healthcare, were present. The 250-bed facility is Fortis Healthcare’s second multi-speciality hospital in the city.
