Chennai:
The Tamil Nadu government has announced increase in stipend of trainee and PG doctors in the state.
Heeding to the request of trainee medical professionals, Chief Minister Jayalalithaa announced in the assembly that the present stipend was being hiked.
The present stipend for trainee doctors would be hiked from Rs 8,500 to Rs 13,000, while the stipend for PG doctors would be hiked from Rs 18,000 to Rs 25,000 for first year, from Rs 19,000 to Rs Rs 26,000 for second year and from Rs 20,000 to Rs 27,000 for third year.
Those doing PG diploma would get Rs 25,000 (presently Rs 18,000) for first year and Rs 26,000 (presently Rs 19,000) for second year. Likewise, stipend for those doing specialty studies in medicine has also been increased, with the maximum being Rs 30,000.
While medical college hospitals in Tiruchirappalli and Tirunelveli and Government Queen Maternity Hospital at Pudukkottai would be upgraded at Rs 60 crore, dialysis, diagnosis and diabetes centres would be set up in all government medical college hospitals and district hospitals, Ms Jayalalithaa said, adding MRI and CT scan machines would also be installed.
While the General Hospital in Chennai would have a new multi-storey building at Rs 50 crore for outpatients, kidney surgery, kidney medicine and physiotherapy departments, the government would also start new taluk level hospitals in 10 taluks in the first phase at Rs 25 crore, she said.
A sum of Rs 32.81 crore would be allocated to improve the infrastructure of general hospitals in 15 district headquarters. Rs 31.65 would be spent to improve facilities in 12 other district hospitals.
A new government medical college would be started in Karur district, the Chief Minister announced, while Reverse Osmosis Water Plant would be installed in 315 government hosptials across the state.
Digital x-ray equipment would be provided to 12 government hospitals at Rs 13.20 crore and C-arm x-ray equipment would be given to 31 government hospitals at Rs 9.30 crore, she said.
While eight primary health centres would be upgraded as 30-bedded facilities at Rs 18.52 crore this year, Rs 21.67 crore has been allocated to construct primary health centres in rural areas.
The Chief Minister said hostel buildings worth Rs six crore would be constructed for Madras Medical College.