CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu Health and Family Welfare Department has ranked State-run healthcare institutions, and rated districts based on 17 criteria including Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR), Infant Mortality Rate (IMR), and out-patient treatment. The government proposes to improve services in poorly-performing centres.
This is the first time the State has ranked primary healthcare centres (PHCs), healthcare sub-centers, district headquarters hospitals, and medical college hospitals. Tenkasi, Tirupathur, and Dindigul are at the bottom of the list, and Kancheepuram, Namakkal, and Thoothukudi districts have performed the best, said Principal Secretary of the Health and Family Welfare Department Dr P Senthil Kumar.
At the Healthcare Conference 2022 in Omandurar Multi-Speciality Hospital here, he said the reasons for institutes’ and districts’ poor performance will be ascertained and steps will be taken to improve the situation. Chief Minister MK Stalin said the government plans to provide quality medical care in rural areas, and urged deans of medical college hospitals, deputy directors of health services, joint directors of health services, and other health officials to improve healthcare services.
Schemes like Makkalai Thedi Maruthuvam, Nammai Kakkum 48 and Chief Minister’s Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme cannot be seen in any other part of the country, he added, and urged the officials to find solutions to malnutrition and immune deficiency-related complications. TN aims to reduce communicable diseases and non-communicable diseases, and improve mental health and accident and trauma care in line with Sustainable Development Goals.