The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Private sector should come forward to extend medicare: Karunanidhi

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Nov 16, 2007
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Private sector should come forward to extend medicare: Karunanidhi

Special Correspondent

First phase of Chettinad Health City inaugurated

— PHOTO: K.V. SRINIVASAN

SHARING A POINT: Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi with M.A.M. Ramaswamy, managing trustee, Rajah Sir Muthiah Chettiar Charitable and Educational Trust ( second from left) and M.A.M.R Muthiah, director of the Chettinad Health City, in Chennai on Thursday.

CHENNAI: Though it was the responsibility of the government to provide medical services to all sections of society, the private sector should also come forward to help the government in this mission, Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi said on Thursday.

More organisations should invest time and resources in taking affordable medicare to the masses, he said, while inaugurating the first phase of the Chettinad Health City at Kelambakkam in Chennai. The Rs.500-crore project is being promoted by the Rajah Sir Muthiah Chettiar Charitable and Educational Trust.

The State government had earmarked a sum of Rs.600 crore this year for the health department, Health and Family Welfare Minister M.R.K. Panneerselvam said.

The Health City would function with the twin aspirations of providing the best possible medical education to aspiring youth and the best medical services for the poor and the ailing, M.A.M Ramasway, managing trustee of the Trust, said.

The U.S. had a strong interest in promoting health and medicare in India and had initiated several collaborative projects with the Central and various State governments, as well as with NGOs and the private sector, Fred Kaplan, Acting Consul-General, U.S. Consulate General in Chennai, said. Chennai was “home to several fine hospitals”, a point which went down well with U.S. investors who were concerned with the education and healthcare infrastructure in the State, he added.

The Health City had a mandate to bring advanced health education, health care, research and health IT to society, R. Ravikumar, cardio thoracic surgeon in the facility, said.

The Rs.500-crore project comes with a one thousand bed facility and 52 specialities. The second and third phases will promote medical tourism and research. The entire project will be completed by 2009.

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