The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Health project: agreement with World Bank next month

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Dec 20, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Health project: agreement with World Bank next month

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI, DEC. 19. The Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa, today said the State Government would implement the World Bank-supported Rs. 597.15-crore `Tamil Nadu Health Systems Development Project' to provide hassle-free service to the people, particularly children, from next year.

In a statement here, Ms. Jayalalithaa said an agreement with the bank would be signed next month and the project would be implemented over five years. The bank was approached for financial assistance for implementing the health scheme and it earmarked Rs. 502.95 crore as loan. The Government would contribute Rs. 94.20 crores, she said.

The project was aimed at improving the health of all sections, particularly of women, the poor and the downtrodden and tribals. Infrastructure in 270 hospitals in district headquarters, at taluks and non-taluk centres would be enhanced and integrated maternity and childcare centres would be set up in 62 hospitals to provide round-the-clock service.

The project would enable the State to introduce pilot schemes for the first time in South Asia to control and treat non-infectious diseases such as blood pressure and uterus cancer. Facilities would be enhanced to reach out to tribals living in remote areas and to provide them quality treatment. The project would also provide for extending timely first aid and treatment to the injured in accidents on highways and ensuring safe disposal of hospital waste. Service in hospitals would be improved to the satisfaction of the patients, she said. All hospitals would be linked under the integrated health information management scheme.

Infrastructure

Additional buildings for maternity, in-patient and outpatient wards and intensive care units would be constructed. Haemodialysis units, ventilators, X-ray units and ultra-sonograms would be provided to Government hospitals. With a view to improving transportation facilities to attend to emergency cases, ambulances would be provided in all 385 blocks, the Chief Minister said.

The scheme would go a long way in achieving the Government's goal of "health care for all" in the State by enhancing infrastructure facilities for public health, creating communication channels for interaction among health institutions at the primary, middle and higher levels, providing better health facilities by improving the efficiency of medical personnel, ensuring use of information technology on a large scale while offering medical care and extending adequate facilities in remote villages, Ms.Jayalalithaa said.

To make Tamil Nadu a model State in catering for the health needs of the people, the Government was taking various steps, Ms. Jayalalithaa said, claiming that the State had been acclaimed for its outstanding achievements under health indices.

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