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New Indian Express
5 days ago
- Health
- New Indian Express
Doctors flay pact for integrative healthcare, say it is ‘mixopathy'
CHENNAI: The doctors association has condemned the Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine (DPH) for signing an MoU with the Commissionerate of Indian Medicine and Homeopathy and the National Institute of Siddha for jointly promoting integrative healthcare. The association alleged the state is acting in the interest of the Union government whose aim is to achieve 'One Nation-One Health system' by 2030. The director of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Dr TS Selvavinayagam, in a release said the state aims to provide affordable and culturally rooted healthcare options to its people by integrating validated Siddha practices into the public health system. The initiative aims to bridge and strengthen the modern medicine with the rich heritage of the Indian System of Medicine. The partnership reflects the government's vision of promoting holistic, inclusive and accessible healthcare, he said. Dr GR Ravindranath, general secretary, the Doctors' Association for Social Equality (DASE), in his statement said DPH's attempt to implement the union government's integrated medical system is condemnable. It will ruin people's access to quality medical treatment, he said. 'The centre is imposing an integrated medical system through the National Medical Commission, NITI Aayog, National Health Policy 2017, National Education Policy 2020, National Health Commission, and the Union Public Health Department. As part of this, the centre is trying to launch a new integrated medical course at JIPMER, Puducherry, by combining the modern medical course MBBS with Ayurvedic course BAMS.' he said. Dr A Ramalingam, secretary, Service Doctors and Post Graduates Association, termed the move 'Mixopathy', and claimed it will lead to gradual decrease in standards of all systems of medicine. The state health department is committing a historic blunder by taking the regressive step, he said.
New Indian Express
11-07-2025
- Health
- New Indian Express
No Nipah virus case in Tamil Nadu, districts bordering Kerala on alert
CHENNAI: In the aftermath of Nipah virus cases being reported in Palakkad and Malappuram districts of Kerala, the Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine stated that Tamil Nadu residents need not panic as the state is actively taking all precautionary measures to prevent the spread of the virus. Medical teams in districts bordering Kerala are on standby to detect and respond to suspected cases, the DPH said in a release. No such case has been reported in Tamil Nadu so far as per the release, which further advised the public to remain calm, vigilant and follow basic safety measures. The state is taking all precautionary measures and is closely monitoring the spread of the virus, it added. Public should watch out for symptoms like fever, headache, vomiting, confusion, insomnia, shortness of breath or fainting and seizures. If anyone develops such symptoms, especially after travelling to affected areas in Kerala or after coming into contact with a sick person, they are advised to immediately visit the nearest hospital, the release said. Public has also been advised to avoid eating unwashed or fallen fruit, wash all fruit thoroughly before eating and wash hands with soap. The DPH has instructed the district health officers to monitor the preventive measures closely. Nipah virus is a zoonotic disease that is transmitted to humans from animals such as fruit bats and pigs. The disease is transmitted by eating fruits contaminated with bat saliva.
The Hindu
01-07-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
Health Minister presents awards to doctors
Health Minister Ma. Subramanian presented awards to doctors in two separate events held in line with the National Doctors' Day on Tuesday. At an event organised by the Health department, he presented awards to 50 doctors - 12 each from the Directorate of Medical Education and Research and Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, 13 from Directorate of Medical and Rural Health Services, seven from Directorate of Indian Medicine and Homoeopathy, three from Indian Medical Association and three private sector doctors. He lauded the contributions made by doctors, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Member of Legislative Assembly (Thousand Lights) Ezhilan Naganathan was present. Rotary District 3234 organised an awards ceremony on the occasion of National Doctors' Day to honour individuals for their contributions to the field of medicine and to recognise institutions for their outstanding healthcare services. Mr. Subramanian presented the various awards on the occasion. 'Rotary Excellence Awards for Distinguished Doctors' were presented to H.V. Hande, Prathap C. Reddy, Mohamed Rela, Devi Prasad Shetty, C. Palanivelu. Mayilvahanan Natarajan, Vallalarpuram Sennimalai Natarajan and K.R. Balakrishnan. 'Institutions of Excellence Awards' were conferred on Madras Medical College, Government Stanley Medical College, Sankara Nethralaya Eye Hospital and Kanchi Kamakoti CHILDS Trust Hospital, according to a press release. Vinod Saraogi, District Governor, Rotary District 3234, while speaking on the significance of the event, said that if a nation is to progress, a strong medical fraternity is essential. 'Each of the doctors we are honouring today represents an unshakable pillar of our society. This event is not just a celebration - it is a resonating expression of gratitude from the society to the medical community,' he said, according to the release.
The Hindu
20-06-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
Sanitation certificates can now be obtained on T.N. e-Sevai portal
: Sanitation certificates can now be obtained on the Tamil Nadu e-Sevai portal — The Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, in a communication, said that the 'issue of sanitary certificate service' was now live on the e—Sevai portal. On May 29, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin officially launched the 'SimpleGov' initiative, marking the full transition to an online Sanitation Certificate system. All institutions are now required to apply or renew certificates exclusively through the e-Sevai portal. Applicants should visit the portal, complete or update their registration, upload all necessary documents, including the sanitation protocol, and submit a self-affidavit signed by the authorised person. On successful submission, the sanitation certificate will be auto-generated with a validity of one year. As per a Government Order, the types of institutions required to obtain the certificates include schools, colleges, shopping malls, marriage halls, factories, including micro, small and medium enterprises, old age homes, children's homes, and working women's hostels. These institutions are considered critical due to their high footfall, raising the need for hygienic conditions to prevent public health risks. The sanitation certificate must be prominently displayed on the premises, along with this, the sanitation protocol must be followed. Authorities from the directorate will be inspecting the institutions, and taking necessary action, whenever required. Manual method ended As per the revised procedure, the existing manual process for issuing the certificates has been discontinued with immediate effect. No physical copies of applications or documents will be accepted. Applications, document submissions, and processing would be carried out exclusively through the Tamil Nadu e-Sevai portal, the directorate said. All District Health Officers have been requested to ensure that the revised procedure is disseminated to all stakeholders in their respective districts, including establishments and field staff.
The Hindu
19-06-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
Primary Health Centres can be approached for hepatitis B vaccine, says TN govt
With a number of private hospitals continuing to face a shortage of Hepatitis B vaccines, the Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine has said that the nearest Primary Health Centre (PHC) can be approached for vaccinating children against hepatitis B as per Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP) schedule. Several private hospitals across the State have been facing short supply of hepatitis B vaccines especially for vaccinating their healthcare workers and patients such as those on dialysis. A private hospital in Chennai that administers both pentavalent and hexavalent vaccines containing hepatitis B under UIP currently has adequate stock. The Health department said that there was no shortage of the vaccine in government hospitals. Health Minister Ma. Subramanian recently said that the State had a stock of 6,21,320 doses of the vaccine at present. This was adequate to meet the requirements for 8.5 months. Similarly, 5,52,100 pentavalent vaccines were also available to take care of the needs for the next 2.5 months. T. S. Selvavinayagam, Director of Public Health, reiterated that nearby PHCs can be approached for vaccinating children as per UIP schedule. A doctor, who has been closely following the hepatitis B vaccine situation, said that Hepatitis B vaccination in adults is always challenging. It was being implemented by covering key populations who have been screened and found as hepatitis negative before vaccination, he said. Open Vial Policy for hepatitis B vaccine to prevent wastage is one of the main challenges. This allows usage of an open vial for up to 28 days. 'The vaccine is administered to the targeted groups (among adults) after hepatitis B testing. In fact, the test kits are also in short supply' he said.
