Amma Baby Care Kit to be Gifted to Newborns in All Government Hospitals

Rs 1,000 pack to have towel, baby dress, bed and some items for mother; to be presented to 6.7 lakh kids this year.

CHENNAI: Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Tuesday announced a new initiative - provision of Amma Baby Care Kit worth Rs 1,000 to newborns in all government hospitals across the State. The gift hamper would be presented to around 6.7 lakh babies this year and the measure would cost the State Exchequer an additional expenditure of `67 crore.

Making a statement under Rule 110 in the State Assembly, the Chief Minister said the kit would have 16 items - towel, baby dress, baby bed, baby protection net, napkin, 100 ml oil bottle, 60 ml shampoo, soap box, soap, nail cutter, toys, 250 ml handwash liquid, 100 gram soap for mother, Sowbhagyachundi legyam for enhancing breast milk and a box to keep these items.

The Chief Minister said the maternity and child health wards in the medical college hospitals in Tiruchy, Tirunelveli and Government Queen Maternity Hospital in Pudukottai would be upgraded at a cost of `60 crore. Dialysis, diagnosis and diabetes centres would be set up in all government medical college hospitals and district hospitals, the Chief Minister said, adding that MRI and CT scan machines would also be installed.

Stating that government hospitals would be established in all newly created taluks, the Chief Minister said in the first phase, primary health centres in 10 taluks would be upgraded as Taluk Hospitals at a cost of `25 crore.

She also announced construction of a new multi-storeyed building at a cost of `50 crore for the outpatient, nephrology, and  physiotherapy departments of the Government General Hospital in Chennai. Jayalalithaa said, `32.81 crore would  be allocated to improve the infrastructure of general hospitals in 15 district headquarters where there is no government medical college. Setting up of a government medical college in Karur district, installation of Reverse Osmosis Water Plant in 315 government hospitals across the State at a cost of `40 crore, provision of digital X-ray equipment to 12 government hospitals at a cost of `13.20 crore and C-arm X-ray equipment and other machineries to 31 government hospitals at a cost of `9.30 crore were some of the key announcements made by the Chief Minister.

New hostels would be built at Madras Medical College for medical and nursing students, at a cost of `6 crore. She also said `5 crore worth MRI scan machinery would be installed in Government Royapettah Hospital.

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