TN govt lines up Rs 750 cr for new medical colleges

The Tamil Nadu government is planning to set up medical colleges in five districts of the state with an investment of around Rs 750 crore. Besides, the healthcare department would set up superspeciality hospitals in Salem and Madurai with an investment of Rs 290 crore.

Speaking to Business Standard, VK Subburaj, state principal secretary – healthcare, said the proposed colleges would come up in Villipuram, Sivaganga, Tiruvarur, Dharmapuri and Perambalur districts with an investment of Rs 120 crore each.

Similarly, a superspeciality hospital for heart surgery, cancer treatment and road accidents in Salem would cost Rs 140 crore, which will be funded by both Union and state governments. This will be a 500-bed hospital. The Madurai project for which the Centre has given in-principle approval would involve Rs 150 crore.

Subburaj said there was a need to set up a mental healthcare hospital in the southern part of the state as currently there is just one hospital in Chennai. An exclusive government hospital for treating the mentally ill has been planned on 14 acre at Theni, he added.

The department would join hands with private partners to upgrade these hospitals. According to him, the Times Foundation has contributed Rs 4 crore for setting up healthcare centres at Shollinganallur and Medavakkam in Chennai with an investment of Rs 2 crore. .

There are around 1,420 such healthcare centres in the state, said Subburaj.