Healthcare destination for South Asians

A two-pronged strategy to deal with non-communicable diseases, two medical cities in southern and western Tamil Nadu, strengthening trauma and disaster management systems and measures to ensure 100 per cent availability of medicine in the Essential Drug List (EDL) to all citizens are among the key proposals envisaged in the Rs. 11,000-crore outlay for the health sector in the “Vision Tamil Nadu 2023” blueprint launched by Chief Minister Jayalalithaa here on Thursday.

If “Vision TN 2023”'envisages the State to be the “back office capital of the world” in the IT/ITES space, it envisages Tamil Nadu as the future healthcare capital of South Asia.

Expounding on the “Health for All” motto for the State, the document stated that “Vision 2023 envisages Tamil Nadu to become not only the numero uno State in India in terms of social indicators, but also reach the levels attained by developed countries in human development by ensuring universal access to health facilities”.

While Tamil Nadu scores reasonably well on social indicators vis-a-vis most states of India – especially in the case of Human Development Indicators – Vision 2023 seeks an ambitious goal for key parameters, such as crude birth and death rates, MMR, IMR and Under 5 MR, by strengthening primary and secondary care centres and upgrading tertiary care hospitals to best in class.

The State will also ensure availability of items on the Essential Drug List (EDL) to all citizens. The primary and secondary health network will be strengthened in such a manner that a referral centre is available within a maximum distance of five kilometres from every Sub-Centre. All primary and secondary hospitals will be connected by all-weather black topped road and bus connectivity will be ensured at least twice every day from every village to the nearest Sub Centre and referral hospital, the document stated.

Also, towards ensuring round the clock availability of doctors and nurses, all Primary Health Centres would be provided with good residential accommodation for at least one doctor and three staff nurses.