An advanced robotic surgery centre has been set up at the Tamil Nadu Government Multi Super Speciality Hospital (TNGMSSH), Omandurar. A ₹35-crore worth equipment for robotic surgery was installed and a fully modular operation theatre has been readied at a cost of ₹50 lakh, Health Minister Ma. Subramanian said.
Shortly after inspecting the centre on Wednesday, he said the Chief Minister would inaugurate the centre after the model code of conduct ceases to be in force.
“Such facilities have been set up at 74 centres across the country. In Tamil Nadu, six private hospitals have similar facilities. Except for Central government institutions such as Jipmer, no State government hospital has such a centre,” he said. Six doctors of the hospital were sent for training in robotic surgery, the Minister said. Patients would be covered under the Chief Minister’s Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme, he added.
Noting that the State government was taking several steps for early detection of cancer and its treatment, he said the government, along with Cancer Institute, was involved in the cancer registry project. “In six to seven years, continuous check-up for detection of patients with stage I and II cancers would be done across the State. Through this, at least 66% of people would be covered by 2030 with a full medical check-up. The State government is expediting the work for early detection of cancer,” he said.
He said that such advanced centres would help in the treatment of cancers. Dedicated cancer treatment centres are coming up at Karapettai in Kancheepuram as well as in Madurai, Kanniyakumari and Salem districts. “We are taking several steps to reduce the deaths due to cancer,” the Minister said.
Door delivery of medicines
A total of 49,79,565 persons were so far covered under “Makkalai Thedi Maruthuvam”, a scheme that was launched on August 5, 2021. Every day, nearly 15,000 to 20,000 persons benefited under the scheme.
He said that this Sunday, the Chief Minister would hand over medicines at the house of the person, who would be the 50,00,000th beneficiary in Sithalapakkam panchayat. Another 188 new ambulances with advanced life-saving equipment would be rolled out. This would take the total number of ambulances in the State to 1,491.
So far, 18,580 persons injured in road accidents were treated under the State government’s Innuyir Kappom-Nammai Kakkum. So far, the government had spent nearly ₹16.97 crore towards their treatment, he said.
From 609 hospitals, the total number of hospitals empanelled under the scheme had increased to 640 — 218 government hospitals and 422 private hospitals.
Health Secretary J. Radhakrishnan and Director of TNGMSSH R. Vimala was present.
