CHENNAI: The state government will establish two new paediatric multi-speciality blocks at a total cost of Rs 250 crore at the Government Kalaignar Centenary Super Speciality Hospital, Chennai, and Thanjavur’s Raja Mirasudar Hospital, to provide high quality speciality services to children in South Chennai and delta regions of the state, announced Health Minister Ma Subramanian during the Assembly session on Friday. The undertaking is expected to reduce the burden on the Institute of Child Health and Hospital for Children (ICH), Egmore, which is the only exclusive state-run hospital for children in TN.
According to officials, ICH doctors see around 1,500 outpatients in a day and at any given time, the hospital houses around 650-700 patients. Notably, the hospital is also visited by patients from other states (including northern India) and even countries such as Bangladesh. Construction of the two new blocks will commence this year and additional posts will be created for the facilities, they added.
Speaking at the discussion for the demand of grants for the health department, Minister Subramanian made a total of 110 announcements, including a dedicated hospital for the disabled persons at a cost of Rs 50 crore in the premises of the Government Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine, K K Nagar, Chennai.
The community-based cancer screening programme for early detection and treatment of cervical, breast and oral cancers that is being implemented in Erode, Tirupattur, Kanniyakumari and Ranipet districts will be extended to all TN districts in a phased manner at an outlay of Rs 27 crore, he added.
Special screening for early detection of retinal and renal disorders due to uncontrolled diabetes will be conducted in all government primary health centres, government hospitals and non-communicable diseases clinics in government medical college hospitals throughout the state, the minister said. Further, head-to-toe examination will be conducted for all newborns in government hospitals across the state to detect congenital birth defects and a dedicated child health card will be provided for follow ups.
A pilot project for home-based monitoring of premature and underweight infants discharged from special newborn care units will be implemented in seven districts at a cost of Rs 1.28 crore. Moreover, foetal anomaly scans will be conducted in government medical college hospitals to detect foetal growth abnormalities and defects during pregnancy, Subramanian added.
The announcements indicated the state is putting more emphasis on the prevention of non-communicable and congenital diseases.
Cancer screening will be extended to all districts
The community-based cancer screening programme for early detection and treatment of cervical, breast and oral cancers that is being implemented in Erode, Tirupattur, Kanniyakumari and Ranipet will be extended to all of TN in a phased manner, the minister said.
Key announcements
Life-saving weight loss surgery for morbid obesity will be provided at government medical college hospitals in Chennai, Coimbatore and Madurai
A state policy for homeless persons with mental illness, along with implementation strategies and an action plan will be released
Six regional research centres will be established under the Tamil Nadu Dr M G R Medical University at a cost of Rs 16 crore
All regional training institutes and government medical college hospitals will impart training on life-saving first aid to drivers and conductors from the transport department and drivers of other public vehicles
A centre for quality assessment of essential drugs and laboratory reagents will be established at the King Institute of Preventive Medicine and Research, Guindy, at a cost of Rs 12 crore
High-risk pregnant women will be monitored through the 104 and 102 helpline services
The Kalaignar Centenary Integrated Research Foundation will be established under the Directorate of Medical Education and Research to promote medical research and innovation
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) will be signed with the Indian Institute of Technology Madras, specifically with the Department of Applied Mechanics and Biomedical Engineering, to adopt new technologies for treatment under Indian systems of medicine
Efforts will be made to raise awareness among school and college students regarding the harmful effects of drugs, alcohol and tobacco