File photo of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and AIADMK leader Jayalalithaa.
Master health check-up plans, including a special one for women and Rs 120 crore allocation for Adyar Cancer Institute in Chennai are among highlights of the Rs 500 crore worth of health schemes announced by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa in the Assembly today.
Making a suo moto 22-point statement in the Assembly, she said that as a pilot scheme, the Amma Master Health check-up plan and Amma Women Special Master Health check-up plan for women would be launched, towards which medical equipment will be bought at a cost of Rs 10 crore.
Ms Jayalalithaa said the Union government had accepted her request to accord the status of a Centre of Excellence to the Cancer Institute at Adyar in Chennai.
"I had written to the Prime Minister to accord the Centre of Excellence status to Adyar Cancer Institute and the Union government has accepted it. I am happy to announce that the Adyar Cancer Hospital will be strengthened at a cost of Rs 120 crore," she said.
The Chief Minister said she had first written to the then Prime Minister in 2013 on the issue.
During the current year, 10 new primary health centres will be set up at a cost of Rs six crore. Also, 10 PHCs will be upgraded into 30-bedded hospitals at a cost of Rs 12 crore.
Residential quarters will be set up for nurses working in PHCs at a cost of Rs 6 crore in 60 such health centres, she said.
Twelve new blood banks, 10 blood storage centres and 10 blood collection units will be set up at a cost of Rs 12.12 crore. Neo-natal intensive care units will be set up in five government hospitals in Tambaram, Tiruttani, Gudiyattam, Rajapalayam and Virudachalam at a cost of Rs 3.25 crore.
In Rajapalayam, a 20-bedded Paediatric Intensive Care unit and a five-bedded Step Down Ward will be set up at a cost of Rs 1.10 crore.
To strengthen an ongoing welfare scheme under which mothers who have delivered babies in state-run facilities are supported, 20 vehicles will be purchased at a cost of Rs.1.60 crore for 20 medical college hospitals.
Under the plan, young mothers with their newborns are provided transport to reach their homes. Fifty old ambulances will be replaced with new ones at a cost of Rs five crore.
Also, at a cost of Rs 10.08 crore, ventilators and other medical implements will be provided to 10 government medical college hospitals and eight District Headquarters Hospitals for the Peadiatric wards, Ms Jayalalithaa said.
For 15 District Headquarters Hospitals, equipment to perform mammography tests will be provided at a cost of Rs 2.25 crore, she added.