TN govt plans 'hospital on wheels'

The Tamil Nadu government is planning to launch a ‘Hospital on wheels’ scheme to provide doorstep healthcare services in remote and far flung areas of the state.

In her convocation address at the MGR University, chief minister J Jayalalithaa said the state was fast emerging as a good public health model for the rest of the country, especially in maternal and child care. Around 99.8 per cent of all deliveries in the state are conducted by qualified and trained personnel, she said.

“Various policy initiatives, which were introduced by my government between 2001 and 2006 such as 24-hour delivery care service in primary health centres, upgradation of one primary health centre in each block to a 30-bedded hospital with modern equipment, provision of emergency maternity and neonatal services in government hospitals, birth companion programme and maternal death audit, have been responsible for the consistent excellent performance of Tamil Nadu in this field,” Jayalalithaa said.

The existing 385 mobile medical units will be strengthened with additional manpower and lab facilities, and medical teams will visit remote villages based on a fixed tour programme, she said.