Tamil Nadu expands healthcare education with 6,098 new seats, seven nursing colleges

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay announced a series of measures in the health and medical education sectors, including 6,098 additional seats in nursing, pharmacy and paramedical courses and higher insurance coverage.

The annual coverage under the Chief Minister's Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme will increase from ₹5 lakh to ₹25 lakh, Vijay announced in the Assembly on Aug 19.

“Medical care is not a concession; it is a basic right of every human being,” Vijay said.

The government will also establish a 400-bed multispecialty hospital in Perambur at an estimated cost of ₹300 crore. The facility will cater to the healthcare needs of north Chennai and provide advanced medical services.

Tamil Nadu will spend ₹351 crore to create around 6,098 additional seats in nursing, pharmacy and paramedical programs. The expansion will include seven new government nursing colleges and 660 BSc Nursing seats.

The government will also upgrade the Chief Minister's Cancer Care Mission at a cost of ₹673.44 crore.

An integrated cancer treatment facility will be established at Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital, while regional cancer care centers will be set up at five government medical college hospitals.

The health insurance scheme will also be expanded to cover additional medical and surgical services for transgender persons at seven government medical college hospitals in Chennai, Tirunelveli, Tuticorin, Chengalpattu, Tiruvarur, Dharmapuri and Kanniyakumari.

The measures are intended to expand healthcare education capacity, strengthen specialized treatment facilities and improve access to medical services across Tamil Nadu.