CHENNAI: Maharashtra will follow the footsteps of Tamil Nadu and establish more medical colleges, said Health Minister Rajesh Ankushrao Tope, who along with a team is on a two-day visit to Chennai.Tope along with Mary Neelima Kerketta, Principal Secretary Public Health Department, Vijayakumar Lahane, Joint Secretary Health, Maharashtra and other officials held a discussion with Health Minister Ma Subramanian, Health Secretary J Radhakrishnan and other senior officials at the DMS campus on Monday.
Speaking to reporters, Rajesh said that he was delighted to find out from the officials that every year 10,000 doctors pass out in Tamil Nadu, adding he was impressed by the fact that almost every district has a medical college and people have access to tertiary care. “So we will follow Tamil Nadu and open more medical colleges. In the last one year Maharashtra government gas sanctioned four to five medical colleges and more will be sanctioned soon,” Rajesh said.
Tope added that Tamil Nadu was always keen on investing more in healthcare. It spends six per cent of its budget on healthcare, whereas in Maharashtra it is only three per cent. The team also visited the National Health Mission office and Tamil Nadu Medical Services Corporation (TNMSC).
Lauding the TNMSC, Rajesh said it adopts streamlined methods for procurement of drugs and equipment and for its storage.On Tuesday, the team will visit visit Government Omandurar Hospital, a peripheral hospital and a primary health centre.