TN Budget 2025: Doctors welcome budget proposals for health sector
The major budget announcements for the health department include the Government Arignar Anna Memorial Cancer Hospital and research institute in Karapettai, Kancheepuram district.
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CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu, the country's health capital got a shot in its arm with the state TN budget on Friday unveiling a special focus on the health department with cancer as the key focus subject. State Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu in his budget brought relief to the cancer patients and assured preventive steps to fight cancer.
The major budget announcements for the health department include the Government Arignar Anna Memorial Cancer Hospital and research institute in Karapettai, Kancheepuram district.
The new hospital will be designated as a state-level nodal cancer centre with 800 beds, offering world-class cancer diagnosis, treatment, palliative care, and related services.
For early cancer detection using advanced diagnostic methods, the Government intends to progressively enhance medical equipment and manpower in secondary and medical college hospitals at an estimated cost of Rs 110 crores in the next three years, the budget said.
Meanwhile, medical practitioners welcomed the budget.
"The budget is a welcoming one but the DMK government before the elections announced that the allocation for health would be threefold when in power and should raise to that level as promised. All the temporary employees in the government sector must be made permanent and doctors should not be appointed temporarily. The old pension scheme must be brought back," said Dr GR Ravindranath, general secretary of Doctors Association for Social Equality (DASE).
"When the government says about the upgradation of Arignar Anna Memorial Hospital all kinds of treatment must be made free of cost," Ravindranath added.
To prevent cervical cancer and completely eradicate the disease in Tamil Nadu, the Government has planned to progressively provide HPV vaccination to all girls aged 14 years.
"Provision of free cervical vaccine to girls is a welcome initiative given the fact that women of lower socioeconomic class are most affected with cervix cancer. This vaccine given in two doses will reduce cervical cancer incidence by up to 90 percent. I would urge the government to give it at an earlier age given the fact that it is approved from the age of nine. Cervix cancer is initiated by a group of viruses that are promoted by poor hygiene and sexual contact," opined Dr MA Raja, Director and Senior Consultant, Medical Oncology of MGM Cancer Institute.
