Latest news with #ArunThamburaj
The Hindu
10-07-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
Village Health Nurses urge government not to engage contract nurses for immunisation work
Village Health Nurses (VHN) have demanded that the move to engage Mid-Level Health Providers (MLHP), nurses recruited on a contract basis, in carrying out immunisation services at Health Sub-Centres (HSC) should be dropped. They alleged that the Health department was trying to take away the immunisation works from VHNs and rope in contract nurses due to pressure from the Central government. The Tamil Nadu Public Health Nurses Federation met Health Secretary P. Senthil Kumar and Mission Director of National Health Mission, Tamil Nadu, Arun Thamburaj, and put forward their demands. P. Nirmala, State president of the federation handed over a memorandum. The association demanded that the decision to appoint MLHPs at HSCs should be scrapped. They also demanded the Health Minister Ma. Subramanian to take back a statement 'falsely accusing' VHNs of refusing to take up COVID-19 vaccination and routine immunisation services. VHNs and Sector Health Nurses had taken up field work during the COVID-19 pandemic induced lockdown and carried out vaccination and other pandemic-related work. They alleged that the Minister told reporters that MLHPs were roped in as VHNs refused to do such work. This has humiliated VHNs, the association said. Posing a question to the Health Minister, the association asked how was it possible for 4,888 contract MLHPs to carry out the final phase of COVID-19 vaccination works when 8,713 HSCs functioned as vaccination centres and that too without training. COVID-19 vaccination started in January 2021, and the majority were covered during 2022. When this was the case, how can MLHPs who were recruited from the end of December 2021 to January 2022 carry out the COVID-19 vaccination, they asked. While registering their condemnation for the Minister's statement, the association demanded that the move to appoint MLHPs at HSCs following pressure from the Union government as a part of its national health policy should be dropped. The Minister should stop falsely accusing VHNs of covering up this truth, they said. The association has decided to intensify protests if the Health Minister does not take back the statement. They demanded that the vacant posts of VHNs should be filled, and data entry operators should be involved to upload immunisation details on the U-WIN portal.
New Indian Express
08-07-2025
- Health
- New Indian Express
Smile please! ‘Malarum Punnagai' may go pan Tamil Nadu
VIRUDHUNAGAR: Following the success of Malarum Punnagai – the district administration's special initiative to treat malocclusions among government school students – Tamil Nadu's National Health Mission officials are now conducting a feasibility study to extend the programme statewide. Speaking to TNIE, NHM mission director Arun Thamburaj said the study is currently underway and further decisions would be made based on the feasibility of the programme. The initiative, launched in Virudhunagar last year by the then collector V P Jeyaseelan, was aimed at correcting teeth misalignment in children free of cost at an early age, which would also improve the students' self-esteem and confidence. The district administration, supported by National Child Health Programme and the District Early Intervention Centre (DEIC), conducted camps under the initiative at government schools to screen students from classes 6 to 12 for malocclusion. The camps focused on children suffering from improper dental alignment, which can lead to poor jaw growth, difficulty in chewing, and other complications, sources said. Deputy Director of Health Services (Virudhunagar) V Yasodhamani said, 'Students from classes 6 to 12 were screened, and those in need were treated with braces, with the majority being from classes 7 to 10.'
The Hindu
30-05-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
Partnership to strengthen public health system in T.N.
The Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms (C-CAMP) has partnered with the Government of Tamil Nadu to strengthen the public health system in the State through indigenous and innovative health technologies. Through this, Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and philanthropy partners can enable joint projects led by the Tamil Nadu government and C-CAMP. As a part of this, the Directorate of Public Health (DPH) and Preventive Medicine, Tamil Nadu and C-CAMP came together to host a 'Roundtable on Public Health 2025'. During this, they announced a strategic alliance with the aim to strengthen the State's comprehensive primary healthcare delivery through the implementation of indigenous health solutions and medical innovations. C-CAMP, a deep-science innovation hub, is an initiative supported by the Department of Biotechnology, Government of India. Already, three key healthcare programmes were initiated in the State. Public health officials said that the initiatives were piloted through a collaboration with C-Camp with CSR support. One of the initiatives was 'Strengthening Last Mile Cold Chain Healthcare for Routine Immunisation and COVID-19 Vaccination' using an electronic active vaccine carrier. As part of this, solar power systems were installed at four Primary Health Centres (PHC) in Dindigul district to ensure reliable power for critical vaccine storage and medical equipment. The next phase will involve solarisation of the maternity ward operating theatre/labour room in Government Kodaikanal Hospital, a press release said. In another initiative, devices for early screening of Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy were introduced at selected PHCs in three districts. During the COVID-19 pandemic and immediately after, Contactless Remote Vital Parameter Monitoring Technology was deployed in public hospitals of Coimbatore, Madurai, Tirunelveli and Chennai with CSR support. Health Secretary P. Senthilkumar, Mission Director of National Health Mission, Tamil Nadu Arun Thamburaj, Director of Public Health T.S. Selvavinayagam and Taslimarif Saiyed, C-CAMP director, participated.
The Hindu
09-05-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
‘56% deliveries take place in govt. hospitals in T.N.'
: Health Minister Ma. Subramanian on Friday said 56% of deliveries in Tamil Nadu took place in government hospitals, and of this, 83% were in the Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (CEmONC) centres. At a workshop on Strategies on Reduction of MMR (Maternal Mortality Ratio), he said the State accounted for 99.9% institutional deliveries (8.02 lakh). According to the Health Information Management System, the State's MMR was 39 per 1,00,000 live births during 2024-2025. Every month, special measures are taken to identify pregnant women who have complications during gestation period. Once identified, they are advised or treated by obstetricians. All government medical college hospitals have high dependency units to treat pregnant women who develop complications during pregnancy or after delivery, he said. He handed over appreciation certificates to doctors who took measures to reduce maternal deaths. Arun Thamburaj, Mission Director, National Health Mission, Tamil Nadu, and E. Theranirajan, additional director of Medical Education and Research were present.
The Hindu
09-05-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
Health department launches counselling initiative for students
As soon as the Class 12 board examination results were published on Thursday, the Health department launched counselling services through TeleMANAS call centre number 14416 and State Health helpline 104. It has obtained the details of 39,000-odd students, who did not pass the board examinations, from the School Education department and is reaching out to them with counselling. The State government had launched the counselling initiative a few years ago to reach out to students who did not pass the board examinations and National Eligibility cum Entrance Test aspirants. Based on instructions from Arun Thamburaj, Mission Director, National Health Mission, Tamil Nadu, the counselling initiative took off this year as well. V. Venkatesh Mathan Kumar, psychiatrist, Institute of Mental Health, said that through this, they will reach out to 39,241 students - 13,820 girls and 25,421 boys. 'We have got their contact details from the School Education department. If their parents pick up the call, our counsellors will talk to them seeking details of how the children reacted to the result, their mood and so on. If the students answer the call, they will directly ask them for details including if they are facing any issues or parental pressure. Based on the symptoms, we will classify students as high risk, for instance, if they are crying, refusing to come out of their room, feeling guilty, having suicidal thoughts and so on,' he explained. If they are identified as high risk, the calls will be escalated to clinical psychologists. They will be counselled including with coping mechanisms or emotional support based on their needs. 'If we find them as having suicidal tendencies, we will put them on to the District Mental Health Programme teams,' he said. (Assistance for overcoming suicidal thoughts is available on the State's health helpline 104, TeleMANAS 14416 and Sneha's suicide prevention helpline - 044 - 24640050)
