CHENNAI: Placing maternal and elderly healthcare at the centre of its Budget, the Tamil Nadu government on Wednesday (August 5) unveiled a series of welfare and healthcare initiatives, headlined by a scheme to gift a one-gram gold ring to every child born in a government hospital alongside the expansion of telemedicine, cancer care, and geriatric services.
Finance Minister N Marie Wilson announced that the 'Thai Maaman Thanga Mothiram Thittam' would be implemented at a cost of Rs 560 crore. Under the scheme, every newborn delivered in a government hospital will receive a one-gram gold ring.
The Budget also proposed the phased rollout of 1,000 Mobile Geriatric Treatment Centres to take healthcare services to the doorsteps of senior citizens, backed by an allocation of Rs 33 crore.
To strengthen maternal care, the government announced the establishment of 'Thai Care' maternity support centres in hospitals, besides upgrading patient guidance systems and hospital signage at an outlay of Rs 23 crore.
Our focus is to build a healthcare system that reaches every citizen, from newborns to senior citizensN Marie Wilson, Finance Minister
In a major digital healthcare initiative, the government will launch a Hub-and-Spoke telemedicine network, beginning with five hubs and 200 linked healthcare centres before expanding it to 1,000 facilities across Tamil Nadu. The project has been allocated Rs 18.5 crore.
The Budget also laid the foundation for expanding cancer treatment by proposing a Hub-and-Spoke cancer care model, setting aside Rs 10 crore to prepare Detailed Project Reports for five zonal cancer hospitals.
Announcing an additional Rs 100 crore for medicine procurement, Wilson said the government was committed to making quality healthcare accessible and equitable. "Our focus is to build a healthcare system that reaches every citizen, from newborns to senior citizens," he said.
Overall, the Health and Family Welfare Department has been allocated Rs 23,357 crore in the Revised Budget Estimates for 2026-27.