From 1,945 MBBS seats in 2010-2011, the number of medical seats in the State has increased to 3,400 now. In the coming years, 11 new government medical colleges would offer 1,650 more seats, Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami said.
“To enable more students from rural areas and economically backward sections to realise their dream of becoming doctors, the State government, in a short period, got the approval of the Centre to establish new medical colleges in 11 districts - Ramanathapuram, Virudhunagar, Dindigul, The Nilgiris, Ariyalur, Nagapattinam, Kallakurichi, Tiruvallur, Tiruppur, Namakkal and Krishnagiri. The foundation stones has been laid and construction was underway. Through this, the State government has taken measures to create an additional 1,650 MBBS seats in the coming years," he said shortly after inaugurating Fortis Hospital at Vadapalani on Monday.
It was to enable students of government schools to become doctors that the State government has passed a Bill to provide 7.5% horizontal reservation in medical admissions, he added.
The CM emphasised that medicine was a “fine art” and not “business”. Listing out the achievements in healthcare in TN, he said, “Last year, Infant Mortality Rate came down from 16 to 15 (deaths per 1,000 live births), while the State has already achieved the 2030 target of Sustainable Development Goals in reducing Maternal Mortality Rate,” he said.
A total of 254 new primary health centres (PHC) were established, and 166 PHCs were upgraded. In the last three years, 56 CT scan machines, 22 MRI scan machines, 18 cath labs and 530 dialysis machines were provided for government hospitals.
He added that to enhance cancer care in the government sector, Linear Accelerators were being installed at 10 government hospitals at a cost of Rs 190 crore. Work to upgrade the Adyar Cancer Institute at Rs.120 crore was nearing completion, while the Government Arignar Anna Memorial Cancer Hospital at Kancheepuram was also being upgraded at a cost of Rs. 120 crore, he said. “Along with government hospitals, private hospitals are functioning well in the State to provide quality health care for the people,” he said.
Health Minister C. Vijayabaskar, Health Secretary J. Radhakrishnan, Ashutosh Raghuvanshi, managing director and chief executive officer, Fortis Healthcare Limited and Anil Vinayak, group chief operating officer, Fortis Healthcare, were present. The 250-bed facility is Fortis Healthcare’s second multispeciality hospital in the city.
