CHENNAI: Chief Minister MK Stalin will launch the ‘Nalam Kaakum Stalin’ scheme at St Bede’s Anglo Indian Higher Secondary School in Santhome, Chennai, on Saturday. Under the scheme, special health camps will be conducted every Saturday, offering screening and consultation across 17 specialties. Comprehensive diagnostic facilities will also be provided.
The primary beneficiaries include pregnant women, lactating mothers, persons with disabilities, sanitary workers, unorganised workers and people from low-income backgrounds.
Addressing the media on Friday, additional chief secretary J Radhakrishnan said 1,256 camps will be held across Tamil Nadu every Saturday. In Chennai alone, one camp each will be organised in all 15 zones, while larger corporations will host 20 camps each.
Health secretary P Senthil Kumar said around 800 private hospitals empanelled under the CM’s comprehensive health insurance scheme, along with other medical associations, will extend support to the initiative.
Radhakrishnan said arrangements have been made to provide laboratory reports to beneficiaries on the same day, while results will also be shared via SMS.
About 25 specialist doctors, 200 allied health staff and postgraduate doctors will be deployed at each camp. A dedicated section for Indian medicine will also be available. Though the scheme mainly targets people above 40 years of age, anyone can avail the services, he added.
Radhakrishnan further said follow-up treatment will be provided to beneficiaries and the scheme will be reviewed on a monthly basis.
The health department, in coordination with other departments including labour and tribal welfare, will oversee the camps.
Annual Verkalai Thedi cultural tour launched
Chief Minister MK Stalin on Friday inaugurated the annual ‘Verkalai Thedi’ initiative under which 99 young members of Tamil diaspora from 14 countries will be given a cultural tour of Tamil Nadu between August 1 and 15.
This is the fourth year that children of Tamils settled in foreign countries will be touring historically important places to know their cultural roots.
On Friday, the CM presented travel itineraries, books, identity cards, clothing and other materials for the cultural tour. Minister for Non-Resident Tamils Welfare SM Nasar flagged off the tour vehicles. So far, three such tours have been conducted, covering 194 Tamil youths from 17 countries.