Chennai:

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin's health care scheme “Makkalai Thedi Maruthuvam'' launched on August 5  at Krishnagiri district will be extended to the whole of the state by the end of the year.

The office of the Chief Minister said in a statement on Tuesday that the scheme is currently in service at Madurai, Coimbatore, Salem, Thanjavur, Tiruchy, Tirunelveli, and Chennai districts.

The scheme, which is a flagship programme of the DMK government to deliver healthcare at the doorsteps of people in the state, was launched by the Chief Minister at the Samanapalli village in Krishnagiri district.

The Chief Minister had said that the scheme was part of the 7 point programme of the DMK government that envisioned "an enhanced quality of life for all". The Healthcare professionals, including doctors and nurses would screen people for diabetes and hypertension that are generally not properly noticed in the villages of the state. It also involves screening of kidney ailments and other congenital diseases in children and will be followed up through routine hospital treatment.

The scheme will cover 1,172 health sub centres, 189 primary health centres and 50 community health centres in 50 universal health coverage blocks across the state. In addition, this scheme will also be implemented in one zone in three corporations (Tirunelveli, Coimbatore and Greater Chennai Corporation), covering 106 sectors and 21 urban primary health centres. The scheme will further be upscaled to cover the entire state by the end of 2021.

The scheme is being implemented at a tentative annual cost of Rs 257.16 crores, which includes Rs 195.70 crore for rural areas and Rs 61.46 crore for urban areas, according to the GO issued by the Tamil Nadu government.

Stalin said, "This project will benefit people who are above 45 years and in vulnerable categories with blood pressure and diabetes who will get healthcare facilities at their doorsteps. Through this, congenital disorders and jaundice will be identified earlier. Apart from this, dialysis and psychotherapy will be provided at doorsteps and medicines will be given to people identified with diabetes and other issues."

Stalin added, "Funds were allotted for this project and it was launched to achieve the vision for the next ten years to provide healthcare for all. This has been implemented in eight districts in the first phase namely Krishnagiri, Madurai, Coimbatore, Salem, Thanjavur, Trichy, Tirunelveli and Chennai and it will be extended to other districts later. Similarly, one crore people in 30 lakh families in the state will get benefits by the end of this year."

He further said 1,264 women health volunteers, 50 physiotherapists and 50 palliative care staff were initially assigned for the implementation of this scheme.

Health Minister Ma Subramanian told reporters that vacancies in the health department will be filled soon and around 25,000 health department staff, women health volunteers, village health nurses and others will be engaged for this scheme. Issues in distributing nutritional kits to postnatal mothers will be resolved soon.

When Sujatha 48, a domestic help at Coimbatore was diagnosed with cancer in her colon, she had to travel 45 km every month from her village to Coimbatore town for availing medical treatment. With the advent of Makkalai Thedi Maruthuvam scheme, much of her woes are over as the medical professionals reach her doorstep and provide her with quality treatment.

Sujatha not only gets the treatment and medicines for free but also the required colostomy bag that collects stool through an opening in the stomach.

Mohini, a nurse at Krishnagiri district, told IANS, "During door to door checkup, we could find that most of the people have not checked their blood as well as the blood pressure and these are now being properly monitored and the system is already in place in the one month of operation."

According to the health department data from August 5 to September 5, available with IANS, more than three lakh people were beneficiaries of the scheme that included receiving medicine and treatment.