Bring back Amma clinics for people's benefit: EPS tells Stalin

CHENNAI: AIADMK's interim general secretary and former chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami on Sunday urged the DMK government to reopen "Amma Clinics", which were functioning for poor people.

The AIADMK leader alleged that the DMK government turned off the functioning of clinics, and implemented "Makkalai Thedi Maruthuvam" (Medical at doorsteps).

Pointing out that the DMK government had claimed that so far more than 40 lakh people have benefited from the "Makkalai Thedi Maruthuvam" scheme, he alleged that people do not know whether the scheme is being implemented or not.

Listing out the patients' grievances with regard to "Makkalai Thedi Maruthuvam" scheme, Palaniswami claimed once the medical staff visited the houses and they never came back. "Patients say that they had visited only once and gave medicines", he said adding "and they never came back again".

Alleging that some people say the medical team came only to take photos of the patients, the AIADMK leader claimed that patients, who got the medicines during the medical team's first visit, were now spending money to get those medicines. "Even physiotherapists, who came only once, and instructed the patients to do exercise on their own in future", he alleged.

Claiming that during the 14 months after the DMK government came to power, it had scrapped many welfare schemes, which were implemented by the then AIADMK regime, Palaniswami said the people have benefited through various health welfare measures, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic situation when AIADMK was in power and now patients are fearing to get admitted to government hospitals.

"Therefore, setting aside all political vendetta, the government should reopen "Amma Clinics" for the benefit of the people", he said.