Latest news with #Ma.Subramanian
The Hindu
2 days ago
- Health
- The Hindu
T.N. CM Stalin to inaugurate new urban HWCs and PHCs
Chief Minister M.K. Stalin will inaugurate 208 urban Health and Wellness Centres (HWC) and 50 Primary Health Centres (PHC) and urban PHCs on July 3, according to Health Minister Ma. Subramanian. He said that the CM had earlier announced that 708 urban HWCs will be established in the State. Of this, 500 were opened within a year of announcement. The remaining 208 will be inaugurated by the CM through videoconferencing from a centre in Adyar. Each urban HWC will have a doctor, nurse, health inspector and support staff. He added that 19 new district headquarters hospitals and six hospitals on par with district headquarters hospitals were being established at a cost of Rs. 1,018 crore. Of this, the district headquarters hospital at Tiruttani was already inaugurated. Recruitment of staff will be taken up for the remaining 24 hospitals soon, he said.
The Hindu
4 days ago
- Health
- The Hindu
Tamil Nadu expands Japanese Encephalitis vaccination to seven more districts
Tamil Nadu is scaling up Japanese Encephalitis (JE) vaccination to seven more districts. They are Kancheepuram, Chengalpattu, Tirunelveli, Tenkasi, Vellore, Nagapattinam, and Chennai. According to the World Health Organization, the Japanese Encephalitis virus is spread by mosquitoes (especially Culex tritaeniorhynchus). Though symptomatic JE is rare, the case fatality rate among those with encephalitis can be as high as 30%. Permanent neurologic, cognitive and behavioural sequelae occur in 30%-50% of those with encephalitis, it has said. The Health Department had already identified 14 districts — Cuddalore, Villupuram, Kallakurichi, Virudhunagar, Tiruchi, Tiruvarur, Madurai, Perambalur, Ariyalur, Thanjavur, Tiruvannamalai, Karur, Pudukkottai, and Tiruvallur — as endemic to Japanese Encephalitis. Camps at schools Vaccination was taken up in these districts, and a total of 58,22,906 people have so far benefited from the drive. The vaccination programme would be expanded to seven more districts, and camps would be conducted at government and private schools and Anganwadi centres. Village Health Nurses, who are trained in immunisation, would be involved in administering the vaccine to children aged 1-15 years. Health Minister Ma. Subramanian said a total of 32,64,099 children would benefit, according to a press release. T. S. Selvavinayagam, Director of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, said, 'Whenever we start seeing cases in a particular district or area, we expand the services. This is one strategy to reduce infant/child mortality rate.' He added that the vaccine was supplied free by the Government of India. Noticeable increase in cases In fact, a study taken up by Christian Medical College, Vellore, and the Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine found that between 2022 and 2024, there was a noticeable increase in cases (more than five cases) in districts other than the 14 endemic areas such as Chennai, Kancheepuram, Chengalpattu, and Tenkasi. From January 2022 to December 2024, 306 confirmed cases were reported in Tamil Nadu, with the majority of the patients aged 10-19. Chennai had the highest proportion at 40.5%, followed by Tiruvallur, 8.2%, and Tiruvarur, 6.2%. The highest number of cases — 120 — occurred in 2022, followed by 112 in 2023, and 74 in 2024, the study's authors (Regina Elizebeth Joy et al) said in an article, 'Epidemiological profile of JE in Tamil Nadu, 2022-2024: A secondary data analysis of IDSP'. It was published in the Tamil Nadu Journal of Public Health and Medical Research. The study recommended measures, including more vaccination coverage and monitoring, targeted public health interventions, geographically focused control measures, and investigation into urban risk factors and the need for pre-monsoon preventive measures.
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.
The Hindu
17-06-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
Scheme to grant monthly financial assistance to children affected by HIV/AIDS launched
The Health department on Tuesday launched one of its key budget announcements to grant monthly financial assistance of ₹1,000 to 7,618 children affected by HIV/AIDS for their education, medical and nutritional needs. Health Minister Ma. Subramanian, who launched the scheme at an event held to mark the World Blood Donors Day, said that during 2009-2010, former Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi had launched a trust fund for children affected by HIV/AIDS with a corpus of ₹5 crore. Through this, financial assistance was being provided every year for children aged below 18 years towards their education, medical and nutritional needs. This year, an announcement was made during the department's debate on the demand for grants for 2025-2026 to provide monthly assistance of ₹1,000 to children living with and affected by HIV/AIDS. Along with this, the department also launched 11 Red Ribbon Clubs to create awareness on HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted infections among college students. An announcement to create awareness of HIV/AIDS among adolescents - students of classes VIII, IX and XI in 9,830 schools in the State - was made earlier. In a step towards this, it was decided to impart life skills training to students of 100 schools. The initiative was launched in 11 schools on the occasion, a press release said.
The Hindu
15-06-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
MNCU, ART centre, ECRC opened at Coimbatore Medical College Hospital
Health Minister Ma. Subramanian on Sunday inaugurated a Mother – Newborn Care Unit (MNCU) and an Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) centre at the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital (CMCH). The MNCU built at a cost of ₹86 lakh has 10 beds for mothers with attached facilities for newborns. This will ensure treatment of ailing postnatal mothers or newborns within the same space, without separating them. The Minister said that the ART centre that has come up at the tertiary level government hospital at a cost of ₹16.3 lakh will help couples from poor economic backgrounds undergo in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment, which in private facilities cost ₹10 to ₹12 lakh. Already such centres have come up at the Institute of Obstetrics and Gynaecology in Egmore and the Government Mohan Kumaramangalam Medical College Hospital, Salem, he said. Mr. Subramanian said that the government, as announced earlier, has launched provision of somatrogon, a medication for growth hormone deficiency in children, at a cost of ₹13.28 crore. At a time, each beneficiary will be given the medication, which comes as a disposable injection pen, for five weeks that cost around ₹60,000. The medical will continue as prescribed by doctors. The Minister also inaugurated an Emergency Care and Recovery Centre (ECRC) at the hospital, which is a 15-bedded facility for the care and treatment of homeless persons and those who are found on streets, requiring immediate medical attention. He said 16 ECRCs are functioning across the State with the support of non-governmental organisations. He also distributed free spectacles to 50 persons aged above 50, who underwent eye check-up camps organised by the district administration in collaboration with Rotary International at Thondamuthur, Madukkarai, Negamam, Karamadai, Sarkarsamakulam, Sulthanpet, Valparai, Periyanaickenpalayam and Annur. Secretary of Health and Family Welfare Department P. Senthil Kumar, Coimbatore District Collector Pavankumar G. Giriyappanavar, Coimbatore MP Ganapathy P. Rajkumar, Pollachi MP K. Eswarasamy, Mayor K. Ranganayaki, Corporation Commissioner M. Sivaguru Prabakaran and CMCH Dean A. Nirmala were present. On Sunday morning, the Minister trekked to a few tribal settlements near Kovai Courtallam and got feedback from residents on the reach of Makkalai Thedi Maruthuvam scheme. He also awarded degrees to medical students in the graduation ceremonies held at Coimbatore Medical College and the Government Medical College and ESI Hospital on Sunday.
