CHENNAI: As many as 18.52 lakh people have benefited from 1,256 special medical camps conducted across Tamil Nadu under the ‘Nalam Kaakum Stalin’ scheme, Health Minister Ma Subramanian said on Saturday, marking the successful completion of the statewide initiative launched by Chief Minister MK Stalin.
The scheme, inaugurated in August 2025, concluded on Friday evening with camps held in every district, the Minister told reporters at the Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine in Teynampet.
A total of 1,256 camps were organised, three in each block, 15 in the Greater Chennai Corporation, four each in five corporations with populations exceeding 10 lakh, and three each in 19 other corporations. “The camps received an overwhelming public response and have been completed successfully,” he said
The camps offered 17 categories of specialised medical services, including general medicine, paediatrics, cardiology, orthopaedics, neurology, dermatology, obstetrics and gynaecology, ophthalmology, ENT, psychiatry, pulmonology, diabetology and radiology.
Among the key outcomes, 222 persons were identified with cancer and referred for treatment, 8,401 underwent cataract surgery, 595 were diagnosed with tuberculosis, 1,626 with heart ailments and 3,877 with chronic kidney disease. Newly detected cases included 1,50,708 with diabetes and 4,28,454 with hypertension. More than 7.06 lakh individuals were referred for further treatment.
Additionally, 50,190 new CM’s insurance cards were issued and 60,682 disability certificates distributed. Over 3.55 lakh beneficiaries of the Labour Welfare Department and thousands of unorganised and sanitation workers were covered.
The Minister thanked senior officials and health staff for ensuring the effective implementation of the scheme, describing it as one of the government’s flagship public health initiatives.