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Directorate of Medical and Rural Health Services The object of hospital services organised in India during the early years of British rule was to cater mainly to the needs of the British army and the British Civilian population. Indian Medical Department was organised on a regular basis in 1786.   In the year 1875 a Medical Rule was set up and Department of Sanitation and Vaccination was brought under the Control of Medical Department. The Medical Department was then Headed by Surgeon General.     In 1919 the post of Director of Public Health has been created and the department has been bifurcated.  In 1922 Public Health and Medical Services were separated at all levels.   The Public Health Department was formed in the year 1923 for the prevention and control of communicable diseases and for the improvement of General Health Conditions in the State.   After the year 1947 the post of Surgeon General who was fully in charge of Indian Medical Department was redesignated as Director of Medical Services for Madras State.  The ESI Scheme was framed in according with the provision of the ESI act 1948 and was first inaugurated in Tamil Nadu in 1955 In 1956 Family Welfare Programme was taken up by this Department to promote the Health of the People particularly Mothers and Children.   In 1966 a new department was created to attend Medical Education.   In the Year 1970 the Directorate of Indian Medicine was formed  which was under the control of Director of Medical Services. During 1982 the Drug Control Administration has become an independent Department.    During 1983 the Directorate of Family Welfare was disintegrated from the Directorate of Medical Services and Family Welfare for better co-ordination and implementation of Family Welfare Programme In the year 1999 the Directorate of Medical Services was bifurcated and a separate Directorate to look after the implementation of the ESI Scheme was formed on 1.1.1999.  Thus the Department of Medical Services which was a huge composite Department at the time of inception has decade by decade paved way for organisation of various separate Departments for better administration and from 1.1.99 onwards, this Department namely the Department of Medical and Rural Health Services is being entrusted with the responsibility of rendering Medical Care services to the public through the Non-Teaching Medical Institutions.   Through the pursuit of various policies and Programmes, the Department is aiming to translate the Alma Alta Declaration of Health for All in to reality.  The reduction in Infant Mortality Rate, Maternal Mortality Rate, Crude Death Rate and Crude Birth Rate come through the services of the Medical Institutions under the Control of this Department. Department Functioning: The Department of Medical and Rural Health Services is rendering Medical Services through the grid of 25 District Head Quarters Hospitals, 162 Taluk Hospitals, 79 Non Taluk Hospitals, 12 Dispensaries and 11 Mobile Medical Units, besides 23 District T.B. Centres, 5 T.B. Hospitals and 2 TB Clinics and 1 Leprosy Hospital are under the control of this Department.