CHENNAI: Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Tuesday handed over appointment orders to 751 doctors recruited as assistant surgeons (general) through the Medical Recruitment Board, and 1,393 newly recruited health inspectors. He also launched the “Nalam TN” website of the Tamil Nadu Health Foundation and inaugurated Rs 139.47-crore worth government hospital buildings.
The TN Health Foundation has been set up to channel donations, which would be utilised to upgrade infrastructure and procure medical equipment in government hospitals. Following the launch, several firms made donations in the CM’s presence.
Caplin Point Laboratories and Apollo Hospitals Group donated Rs 1 crore, each, while Titan Engineering and Automation Limited contributed Rs 60 lakh. In a separate gesture, S Sathya of Chennai donated Rs 1,000, in gratitude for the care she received at the Government Hospital for Women and Children, Egmore, when she delivered a baby two years ago.
Health department officials said there are 1,832 PHCs and 345 UPHCs functioning under the Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine. Out of these, 1,071 assistant surgeon (general) posts are vacant. In phase I, appointment orders were issued to 320 doctors. In phases II and III, counselling was held for 751 doctors, for whom appointment orders were issued on Tuesday.