Department of Health and Family Welfare (Tamil Nadu)

Department of Health and Family Welfare (Tamil Nadu)
Agency overview
JurisdictionTamil Nadu
HeadquartersChennai
Employees121,221 (2019)[1]
Annual budget₹15,773 crore (US$1.8 billion) (2020–21)[2]
Minister responsible
Agency executive
  • Gagandeep Singh Bedi, IAS, Additional Chief Secretary
Parent agencyGovernment of Tamil Nadu
Websitetnhealth.tn.gov.in

The Department of Health and Family Welfare is one of the departments of Government of Tamil Nadu and is responsible for ensuring access to basic public health services in the state.

Objective

The responsibility of the department is to make quality medical facilities available and accessible to the people, to focus on preventing diseases and to promote adoption of healthy life style.[3]

Overview

The state has robust health facilities and ranks higher in all health related parameters such as high life expectancy of 74 years (sixth) and 98.4% institutional delivery (second).[4] Of the three demographically related targets of the Millennium Development Goals set by the United Nations and expected to be achieved by 2015, Tamil Nadu achieved the goals related to improvement of maternal health and of reducing infant mortality and child mortality by 2009.[5][6]

Infrastructure

The public health infrastructure in the state includes both government-run hospitals and health centers managed by the department of health. As of 2023, the state had 404 public hospitals, 1,776 public dispensaries, 11,030 health centers and 481 mobile units run by the government with a capacity of more than 94,700 beds.[7] The General Hospital in Chennai was established in 16 November 1664 and was the first major hospital in India.[8] Tamil Nadu is a major center for medical tourism and Chennai is termed as "India's health capital".[9] Medical tourism forms an important part of the economy with more than 40% of total medical tourists visiting India making it to Tamil Nadu.[10]

Medical education

There are over 870 medical, nursing and dental colleges in the state including 21 for traditional medicine and four for modern medicine of which 79 public medical colleges and research institutes are run by the department.[7][11] Madras Medical College was established in 1835 and is one of the oldest medical colleges in India.[12] As per the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) rankings in 2023, eight medical colleges from the state are ranked amongst the top 100 in the country.[13][14]

Other services

The department is responsible for the administration of vaccination such as free polio vaccine for eligible age groups and Covid-19 vaccine.[15] The department is also responsible for the implementation of state health insurance scheme for eligible beneficiaries.[7] The department also manages and runs emergency care ambulances across the state. It is also engaged in prevention, education and treatment of specific diseases such as AIDS and Tuberculosis.[7] The department also manages special undertakings responsible for maternal and neonatal health, mental health and welfare of the blind.[7] Food safety and inspection, drug approval and control are also functions under the purview of the health department.[7]

Sub-departments

The following sub-departments and undertakings operate under the department:[16]

Sub-departments
  • Department of Food Safety & Drug Administration (DFSDA)
  • Directorate of Drugs Control (DDC)
  • Directorate of Family Welfare (DFW)
  • Directorate of Indian Medicine and Homeopathy (DIMH)
  • Directorate of Medical Education (DME)
  • Directorate of Medical and Rural Health Services (DMRHS)
  • Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine (DPHPM)
  • National Rural Health Mission (NRHM)
  • Tamil Nadu State Health Transport Department (TSHTD)
Undertakings and bodies

Ministers

Ministers Health and Family Welfare (Tamilnadu)
Name Portrait Term of office
A. B. Shetty 13 April 1954 13 April 1957
Jothi Venkatachalam 1962 1963
S. J. Sadiq Pasha 6 March 1967 10 February 1969
V. R. Nedunchezhiyan 10 February 1969 4 January 1971
K. Anbazhagan 15 March 1971 31 January 1976
M. G. Ramachandran
(Chief Minister) 		30 June 1977 6 May 1978
R. Soundararajan 7 May 1978 17 February 1980
Dr. H.V.Hande 9 June 1980 21 October 1986
P. U. Shanmugam 22 October 1986 30 January 1988
K. Ponmudy 27 January 1989 30 January 1991
S. Muthusamy 24 June 1991 12 May 1996
Arcot N. Veeraswami 13 May 1996 13 May 2001
S. Semmalai 22 May 2001 2 June 2003
Thalavai Sundaram 3 June 2003 12 May 2006
M. R. K. Panneerselvam 13 May 2006 15 May 2011
Dr. V.S.Vijay 16 May 2011 27 February 2013
K. C. Veeramani 28 February 2013 31 October 2013
Dr. C.Vijaya Baskar 1 November 2013 6 May 2021
M. Subramaniam 7 May 2021 Incumbent

See also

References

  1. ^ "Performance Budget of Health and Family Welfare Department - 2018-2019" (PDF). tn.gov.in. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
  2. ^ "Tamil Nadu Budget Analysis 2020-21". PRSIndia. 26 February 2020. Retrieved 29 May 2020.
  3. ^ "Health department". Government of Tamil Nadu. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  4. ^ TN fact sheet, National health survey (PDF) (Report). Government of India. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  5. ^ "Missing targets". Frontline. 12 March 2014. Retrieved 20 March 2016.
  6. ^ Millennium Development Goals – Country report 2015 (PDF) (Report). Government of India. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
  7. ^ a b c d e f Health department, policy note 2023-24 (PDF) (Report). Government of Tamil Nadu. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  8. ^ Amarjothi JMV; Jesudasan, J.; Ramasamy, V.; Jose, L (2020). "History of Medicine: The origin and evolution of the first modern hospital in India". The National Medical Journal of India. 33 (3): 175–179. doi:10.4103/0970-258X.314010. PMID 33904424. Retrieved 23 May 2021.
  9. ^ "The medical capital's place in history". The Hindu. 20 August 2012. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  10. ^ Connell, John (2011). Medical Tourism. p. 71. ISBN 978-1-84593-660-0.
  11. ^ "Affiliated colleges". Dr MGR university. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  12. ^ "Institution History". Madras Medical College. Archived from the original on 15 May 2018. Retrieved 15 May 2018.
  13. ^ "NIRF Rankings 2023: 53 colleges from South India in the top 100". South First. 6 June 2023. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  14. ^ NIRF rankings 2023 (PDF) (Report). Government of India. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  15. ^ "5.67 lakh kids get polio vaccines at 1,647 camps in Chennai". Times of India. 28 February 2022. Retrieved 1 December 2023.
  16. ^ "Sub-departments under health department". Government of Tamil Nadu. Retrieved 1 December 2023.