Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Tuesday virtually inaugurated a three-storey Integrated Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy (AYUSH) hospital at the Government District Headquarters Hospital in Tiruvannamalai.
Tiruvannamalai is now only the second district, after Theni, to have an integrated hospital for AYUSH in Tamil Nadu. Built on a spacious campus, the new hospital, which was jointly built by the Central and State governments at a cost of ₹7.33 crore, has been divided into three blocks, mainly for Siddha and yoga treatment. Each block has a 50-bed facility staffed by doctors and nurses.
“Currently, the new hospital will provide Siddha and yoga treatments. Once the Union government gives its nod, the other three streams, as Ayurveda, Unani and Homeopathy will be handled,” R. Karthikeyan, District Siddha Officer (Tiruvannamalai), told The Hindu.
At present, the Government Medical College Hospital in Tiruvannamalai town has a small Siddha unit in its campus. On an average, around 80 patients are treated at the unit every day. Health officials said that the new integrated hospital will help patients, especially those from rural and tribal areas such as Jawadhu Hills, avail of treatment. Some of the treatments include Siddha varmam and thokkanam therapy, herbal steam baths, thermal and chemical cauterization, leech therapy, karanool and kalikam therapies.
Multi super-specialty hospital in Vellore
Alongside, the Chief Minister also laid the foundation stone for the construction of a multi-super specialty hospital at the Government Pentland Hospital, Vellore. The ₹197.81-crore facility comprises three separate blocks that will handle the cardiology, neurology, urology, pediatric, nephrology and plastic surgery specialties. Each block is a seven-story building with separate wards for men and women, x-ray units, a pharmacy, a counselling centre for cancer patients, nurses section, central laboratory, post-operative wards and recovery wards and operation theatres. The entire project will be completed by the end of 2024.
The Chief Minister also opened an outpatient building at the Government Taluk Hospital in Pernambut town in Vellore.
Minister for Water Resources Duraimurugan, Minister for Public Works E.V. Velu, Minister for Health and Family Welfare Ma. Subramanian, Chief Secretary Shiv Das Meena and senior officials were present during the virtual inauguration at the Secretariat in Chennai.
P. Kumaravel Pandian and B. Murugesh, Collectors for Vellore and Tiruvannamalai respectively, C. N. Annadurai, MP, Tiruvannamalai, P. Karthikeyan and A. P. Nandakumar, MLAs for Vellore and Anaicut, Vellore Mayor Sujatha Anandakumar and Vellore Corporation Commissioner, P Rathinasamy, participated in the occasion at their respective districts.
Handicrafts, textiles buildings
In another event, the CM also virtually inaugurated new buildings constructed for the Handlooms, Handicrafts, Textiles and Khadi Department at a total cost of ₹7.78 crore in Krishnagiri, Madurai, Sivaganga, Tenkasi and Tirunelveli districts.
