Chennai set to be India’s health capital: Jayalalithaa

CHENNAI: The building on the Omandurar Estate will soon be converted into a multi-specialty hospital that will provide the best yet affordable treatment to the common man, chief minister J Jayalalithaa has said. A medical college would also be started to increase the number of physicians. "Postgraduate courses will be offered to create more specialists. Chennai is all set to become the 'Health Capital of India'," she said.

At the silver jubilee convocation of Dr MGR Medical University on Tuesday, she said the menace posed by commercialization of medical education had to be warded off. Efforts should be made to ensure maintenance of standards and check the growth of substandard medical colleges. She urged students to remember they were on a mission to heal. "Medical education needs to be planned and implemented, with full awareness of the aims and demands of the health care services," she said.

In the current year, 6,511 crore had been allotted to the health sector and "highest priority" was placed on health of the people, evident from a number of schemes implemented since the government took over, she said. Due to the government's persistent efforts, the state secured 410 additional MBBS seats in government medical colleges in the current academic year. The total number of seats in the state has increased to 2,555 from 2,145 last year. "I stood firm in opposing the introduction of the common National Entrance cum Eligibility Test which was eventually decided in the Supreme Court in favour of our government's consistent stand," she said.

About 11,864 candidates of medical, dental, AYUSH and allied health science courses received degrees and diplomas. Apart from this, five senior doctors were honoured with lifetime achievement awards and three doctors presented with the DSc Honoris Causa.

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