On Tuesday, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami launched the Rs 2,857 crore Tamil Nadu Health System Reform Programme (TNHSRP), in Chennai. The five-year programme will focus on three key areas — improved quality of care, management of non-communicable diseases and injuries, and reduced equity gaps in reproductive and child health.
Speaking at the function, Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam said for the scheme Rs 1,999 crore would be the share of World Bank loan and the rest be provided by the state government. He also added that when this program is implemented, the government hospitals will match its services with that of private hospitals.
Under the programme, quality certification of the government hospitals will also be undertaken, which will help improve the quality of medical service. It will focus on diagnosing non-communicable diseases like diabetes, cancer, blood pressure, breast cancer and psychological disorders at an early stage. The program will also work on reducing deaths due to road accidents.
According to CM Palaniswami, the state is on the forefront in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals in the maternal mortality ratio (MMR) and the infant mortality rate (IMR).
"It has also emerged as a model state to provide quality healthcare, which is evident from the current MMR and IMR — 67 per 100,000 live births and 16 per 1,000 live births, respectively. It's well below the national average of 122 and 30, respectively. We are aiming to achieve the MMR of 30 before 2030," Palaniswami said.
Speaking at the event, CM urged TN doctors to find a vaccine for coronavirus. “We have to set an example to the rest of the country,” he said.
According to a report in The Hindu, this project will be World Bank’s first Program-for-Results (PforR) project in India and also the first of such program for Tamil Nadu.
(With inputs from IANS)