CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Health Minister Arun Raj on Wednesday reiterated the government's opposition to NEET, saying it is against state's rights and poor people.
"NEET, we have told repeatedly, we are not for it. We are against NEET. It's against state's rights and against poor people," Dr Raj said on the sidelines of his maiden official review meeting at the Madras Medical College (MMC) here.
He further criticised the central implementation of the exam, stating that the government stands firmly against "this oneness creating uniformity in diversity".
Raj also emphasised a major shift toward improving patient experience and quality of care in government hospitals.
Speaking to PTI Videos, Raj expressed personal pride in returning to his alma mater. "First of all, MMC is my college. I studied medicine from here and I am happy to be here," he said.
Asked about his primary directives to health officials, the Minister underscored that the core mandate of the government is to elevate the "quality of care" given to patients on a war-footing basis.
"Ultimately, the end result is the quality of care given to the patients," Dr Raj stated. "We want to ensure that care and that hospital experience... it's a basic human right. We want to ensure that people have more faith in government hospitals, come more willingly, and get treatment in a clean environment," he added, urging government doctors to fully cooperate with the new administration's expectations to execute this mandate effectively.