INTRODUCTION

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?????????????????????????????????????????????????Tamil Nadu’s health indicators place it near the top among the various states of India. It is fast emerging as a public health model for the rest of the country.

Tamil Nadu’s health department has pioneered a unique public health monitoring system. It has greatly emphasized maternal and child health, and has kept close track of all maternal deaths occurring in the state with a view to bringing down such deaths and preventing them as far as possible. With the Government’s policy focus on the provision of emergency obstetric and new born care, blood bank services and emergency transportation facilities, maternal mortality ratio is one of the lowest in the country. Infant mortality rate has? declined from 51 per 1000 live births (SRS 2001) to 44 per 1000 live births (SRS 2002). This is one of the lowest rates in the country.

Deliveries in health institutions and by trained staff account for 99.6% of all the deliveries in the State. Access to the delivery services in the rural areas have improved significantly. The Government of Tamil Nadu is the first in the country to introduce the birth companion scheme to improve intra-natal care. The Government have upgraded 104 PHCs into 30-bedded? PHCs,?? with ultra sonogram, portable ECG, X-ray? and improved lab facilities, in order to provide good?? quality curative care in the rural areas, thus making it accessible to the rural poor.

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The World Bank has approved the Tamil Nadu Health System Project (HSP). HSP will provide increased access to and utilization of health services, facilitate the development of effective interventions to address key health challenges including non- communicable diseases,? and contribute to improved management of the public? health care system and increased effectiveness of the public sector hospital services. The total outlay for the project is Rs.597.15 crores. The project is to be implemented over a period of five years from 2005. The project came into effect from 27^th January 2005.

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Women's rights, including their overall health rights as well as reproductive rights, are a key concern of State policy. RCHP II, for which the World Bank has sanctioned a total outlay of Rs.426 crores, will focus on ensuring these rights. This Project is also to be implemented over a period of 5 years from 2005 onwards. An allocation of Rs.148 crores has already been made by the Government of India for taking up the project during 2005-06 and 2007. The RCHP II would mainly focus on the vulnerable groups, namely women, children and adolescents. It will identify another 17 Taluk Hospitals as new Centres for Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (CEMONC) in addition to the already identified 62 Centres.? The CEMONC Centres will also deal with trauma victims. The HIV/AIDS prevention activities would be mainstreamed with RCH activities. The paramedical functionaries would be trained in the Indian System of Medicine (ISM). ISM kits would be given to all Village Health Nurses (VHNs) in addition to? anganwadi workers and trained? adolescent girls.

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Madras Medical College and Government General Hospital have been awarded ISO 9001: 2000 for delivery of quality medical care and high standard of medical education.?

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To improve tertiary care, the government decided to open medical colleges in Theni, Kanniyakumari and Vellore. Considering the increased demand for the nurses in all three tiers of? health services, 11 new nursing schools have been opened.

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The Government is strongly committed to providing good quality health care services, especially to the rural and urban poor. In line with this commitment, the Hon’ble Chief Minister has sanctioned the appointment of 2322 Medical Officers through Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission (TNPSC). Pending selection of medical officers by TNPSC, ‘Contract Medical Consultants’ will be recruited to serve until the selected officers join duty,? in order to ensure the immediate provision of the required health services.

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The Government of Tamil Nadu intends to provide one practitioner of Indian Systems of Medicine (ISM) in every PHC in a phased manner.? During the year 2005–06, the Government have proposed to sanction ISM wings in 35 PHCs.

Tsunami struck Tamilnadu coast at the fag end of 2004, resulting in major loss of lives and property and causing great trauma to those affected persons who survived it. Under the? able leadership of? the Hon’ble Chief Minister, a swift and comprehensive? response to? the Tsunami disaster was ensured. The timely steps taken by the Government, including the health department, prevented any outbreak of epidemics.? This was greatly appreciated by all international organizations.

The Hon’ble Chief Minister has ordered that recanalisation may be done to the parents who have undergone tubectomy or vasectomy as the case may be and whose children lost their lives in Tsunami, at notified Government hospitals and private hospitals of their choice. The private hospitals which perform the above surgery would be paid Rs.25,000 per case.

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The Government is fully confident that? the various measures undertaken in the health sector will turn Tamil Nadu into? the best State in the country? in respect of provision of quality health care to the entire population.

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The provision for Health and Family Welfare Department under Demand No.18 for 2005-2006 is Rs1652.04 crores as detailed below:-

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(Rs. in Crores)

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The provision for 2005-2006 made under Demand No.18, Health and Family Welfare Department Directorate wise will be as follows:-???

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Note:

a.????? Funds towards Civil Works being undertaken by Public Works Department have been provided to the tune of Rs.144.61 crores under Demand No.38.

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b.????? Provision towards ESI Hospitals for RS.86.67 crores has been provided in the Labour and Employment Demand No.31.?

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c. Funds for Tamil Nadu State AIDS Control Society have been included under the Directorate of Medical Education.

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