Tamil Nadu Raises Health Cover to Rs 25 Lakh, Plans Perambur Hospital

Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay announced in the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly on Wednesday that the annual insurance cover under the Chief Minister’s Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme has been increased from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 25 lakh. Alongside the enhanced coverage, the government will establish a 400-bed multispeciality hospital in Perambur at an estimated cost of Rs 300 crore.

Speaking in the assembly, the Chief Minister stated that medical care is not a concession but a basic right of every human being. The proposed hospital in Perambur is planned to cater directly to the healthcare requirements of north Chennai by offering advanced medical services to residents in the area.

In addition to the hospital infrastructure, the state government plans to create approximately 6,098 additional seats across nursing, pharmacy, and paramedical courses at an outlay of Rs 351 crore. This expansion will include the establishment of seven new government nursing colleges, adding 660 BSc Nursing seats to the state's medical education system.

The Chief Minister’s Cancer Care Mission will also see major upgrades at an expenditure of Rs 673.44 crore. Under this initiative, an integrated cancer treatment facility will be set up at the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital in Chennai, while regional cancer care centres are slated to come up at five government medical college hospitals across the state.

Furthermore, the government announced expanded medical and surgical services for transgender persons under the comprehensive insurance scheme. These specialised healthcare services will be made available at seven government medical college hospitals situated in Chennai, Chengalpattu, Dharmapuri, Kanniyakumari, Tirunelveli, Tiruvarur, and Tuticorin.