The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Camps to screen school students for heart ailments from June 3

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Friday, Apr 25, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Camps to screen school students for heart ailments from June 3

Special Correspondent

Surgery for children with congenital cardiac anomalies

CHENNAI: Medical camps to screen school students for heart ailments will be launched this year on June 3, Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi’s birthday, Health Minister M.R.K. Panneerselvam told the Assembly Thursday.

Replying to the debate after his department’s demand for grants was introduced a day earlier, he said the camps would be conducted in schools throughout June by specialist doctors. As an extension, children who were diagnosed with congenital cardiac anomalies or a rheumatic heart disease would be chosen for surgery. With assistance from the National Health Mission, the Government had set aside Rs. 5 crore for this.

A total of 116 new primary health centres would be set up at a cost of Rs. 42.59 crore. All 1,421 existing PHCs would provide round-the-clock emergency obstetric care for pregnant women. To equip these hospitals with the required staff, 1,263 nurses would be appointed, the Minister said.

To meet the huge demand for dialysis, 10 haemodialysis machines would initially be bought for the Chennai, Madurai, Coimbatore Medical College Hospitals. This was expected to cost Rs.1.50 crore.

Mr. Panneerselvam also announced a concessions for medical students who aspired to go in for higher education, but could not because they had failed in one subject, as per the rules. Now that these rules had been relaxed, the students could do postgraduate courses. A high-level committee was constituted to conduct research on using Siddha drugs and formulations for the treatment of HIV/AIDS.

Speaking during the debate on Wednesday, Congress MLA K. Ghayathri Devi wanted the salaries of doctors increased.

The Health Minister said a committee had been constituted to go into the recommendations for the Sixth Pay Commission. It would examine an increase in the pay for even government doctors.

Dr. Devi charged the government with not implementing the Rubella vaccination programme.

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