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The Hindu
14-07-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
MBBS fee hiked for NRI, management quota in self-financing colleges
The prescribed fees for MBBS in self-financing medical colleges under management and NRI quotas has been increased, with the Selection Committee putting out the revised fee structure for the academic year 2025-2026 as per the order of the Committee on Fixation of Fee in respect of self-financing professional colleges, on Monday. As per the order, the fees for government quota in the 21 self-financing medical colleges were ₹4,35,000 to ₹4,50,000. The management quota fee was fixed at ₹15,00,000, while it was ₹27,00,000 for NRI quota. In its order, the committee - Justice R. Pongiappan is the chairman and P. Senthil Kumar (Health Secretary) is member secretary - said that the fee included tuition fee, admission fee, special fee, laboratory/computer/internet fee, library fee, sports fee, maintenance and amenities fee, extracurricular activities fee and other recurring expenditure. Manickavel Arumugam, education counsellor, gave a comparison of the increase in fee structure. 'The good thing is that the government quota fee in self-financing medical colleges remains untouched. The fee for management quota and NRI quota has been increased. From ₹13,50,000, the management quota fee has been increased to ₹15,00,000, while for NRI quota, the fee has been increased from ₹24,50,000 to ₹27,00,000,' he said. 'Another positive aspect is that they have completely done away with the NRI lapsed quota category. So, through this, the NRI quota seats that fall vacant will be added to the management quota,' he added. For State private university medical colleges, the committee noted that four institutions in the category were established recently - during 2022 to 2024 - and the fee was fixed during the same period. So, the committee unanimously decided that except the NRI quota, the fee hike for these institutions pertaining to undergraduate and post graduate medical courses is not necessary at present. While the fee for government quota in these institutions was ₹5,40,000, it was ₹16,20,000 for management quota and ₹30,00,000 for NRI quota. Mr. Arumugam pointed out that NRI fee has increased from ₹29.4 lakh The committee stated that these fees do not include hostel, transport and mess charges that are optional for students. The institutions were directed to submit the details of these fees to the Selection Committee well in advance before the commencement of counselling. It also directed the institutions not to collect or levy any other recurring or non-recurring fee including capitation fee. In case of any deviation from the order, the committee said it will send a recommendation to the respective authority for withdrawal of approval by the National Medical Commission and disaffiliation by the respective university as well as the imposition of fine. However, healthcare professionals in the know-how said there is a greater need for the Selection Committee to keep an eye on collection of excess fees from students. 'Tamil Nadu has one of the highest fee structures for MBBS in private universities in the country. Some institutions also charge students for the fifth year (house surgeoncy). Some fee heads such as hostel fee remain murky and should be closely monitored for excess fee collection,' a source said.
The Hindu
11-07-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
Rally marks World Population Day
A rally was taken out to mark the World Population Day on Friday. Health Minister Ma. Subramanian flagged off the rally and later released an adolescent health handbook and family welfare handbook. He also presented certificates to nursing students who won in various competitions on the occasion. Speaking at the event, he said due to efforts taken by the Health department, Tamil Nadu's Maternal Mortality Ratio and Infant Mortality Rate has declined. Among others, Health Secretary P. Senthil Kumar was present, according to a press release.
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.
The Hindu
07-06-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
Chief Minister to inaugurate upgraded Government Pentland Hospital in Vellore later this month
Chief Minister M.K. Stalin will inaugurate the upgraded British-era Government Pentland Hospital in Vellore on June 25. The Public Works Department (PWD) is renovating the facility into a multi super-specialty hospital. PWD officials said the century-old facility had been upgraded into a seven-storey complex to meet the growing healthcare needs of residents within the Vellore Corporation limits. Principal Secretary to the Health and Family Welfare Department P. Senthil Kumar inspected the upgraded hospital in the presence of Collector V.R. Subbulaxmi on Saturday. 'The upgraded hospital has advanced equipment, especially for treating children and the elderly. Besides residents of Vellore town, people in neighbouring villages will benefit from the upgraded facility,' S. Padavettan, Assistant Engineer, PWD (Vellore), told The Hindu. Spread over 25, 779 the multi super-specialty hospital has been built at a cost of ₹150 crore. More than one dozen dilapidated buildings in the hospital complex were demolished to construct the new facility for which work was started in 2023. The new facility has at least 568 beds for in-patients. The existing hospital is run in an old building with 125 beds. The upgraded hospital has at least ten super specialties, including cardiology, neurology, nephrology, and obstetrics and gynaecology. It also has 10 surgical theatres with separate departments for plastic surgery. Separate wards for emergency and accident-related cases, cancer treatment, sedation, and x-ray rooms will also form part of the new facility. Hospital authorities said the Government Pentland Hospital was started as a clinic in 1882 before being upgraded in 1915. It was inaugurated by the then Governor of Madras Pentland. During its heyday, the hospital served a large number of people in the region including those from tribal communities, traders, and British officers and Indian soldiers who were stationed at the Vellore Fort. Over the years, the hospital was functioned as a taluk-level hospital after the Government Medical College Hospital was established on the outskirts of the town in 2005.
