CHENNAI: The Health Departments of Meghalaya and Tamil Nadu signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Monday for sharing expertise and other things between the two States. Under the MoU, TN will provide training to Meghalaya medical professionals on Comprehensive Emergency Obstetrics and Newborn Care (CEmONC) and Life Saving Anaesthesia Skills (LSAS), said Health Minister Ma Subramanian on Monday.
The MoU was signed by State Health Secretary P Senthilkumar and Meghalaya Health Secretary P Sampath Kumar, in the presence of Subramanian and his Meghalayan counterpart James PK Sangma. Subramanian said TN officials will also visit Meghalaya and study a scheme implemented there to provide medical services to people living in hilly areas.
After studying its feasibility, the scheme will be executed here, he added. The 10-member delegates from Meghalaya visited a few government hospitals here to see the infrastructure and services provided in the State. Minister Sangma said the MoU will be a capacity-building exercise between the two States. Meghalaya’s health indicators need to be improved. This collaboration will go long way in building a relationship not only in the health sector but also between the two governments.
H1N1 influenza
As of Monday, 368 people were undergoing treatment for H1N1, of which 89 are under home treatment, 264 are taking treatment in private hospitals and 15 are in government hospitals, said Subramanian. Of 368 cases, only 42 are in the age group of below five years. While 65 are in the age group of 5-14 and 192 are in the age group of 15-65, 69 are above 65 years.