Latest news with #CMCHIS
New Indian Express
3 days ago
- Health
- New Indian Express
Tiruchy MGMGH resumes bypass surgeries after three-year break
TIRUCHY: Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Government Hospital (MGMGH) has resumed performing cardiac bypass surgeries, which were suspended since 2022. According to hospital sources, a triple vessel coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery was performed on a 55-year-old patient from Kumbakonam last Thursday. A multidisciplinary team led by cardiac surgeon Dr Ashwini performed the surgery, under the supervision of Dean Dr S Kumaravel. The surgery was performed under the Chief Minister's Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme (CMCHIS). The patient was discharged on June 4. Addressing media persons on Wednesday, Dean Dr. Kumaravel said, 'We were not able to perform such procedures earlier due to shortage of cardiothoracic surgeons and limitations in policy. But now, with support under the National Health Mission (NHM) and formalised MoUs, we will be operating on all patients who require bypass surgery here.'
The Hindu
14-05-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
Three-year-old boy in Coimbatore gets prosthetic limb after amputation
A three-year-old boy from Sokkanur village near Kinathukadavu in Coimbatore district received a customised prosthetic leg after he underwent an above-knee amputation for his right leg due to a congenital condition at the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital (CMCH). A release from CMCH said that M. Rishwanth was admitted to the Orthopaedics Department, after having been diagnosed with a congenital deformity in both legs, and an above-knee amputation was done on his right leg. After the procedure, the boy was admitted to the Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine Department, where a customised prosthetic leg was made, fitted and given gait training under the Chief Minister's Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme (CMCHIS). The boy is now able to function independently, walk and gain self-confidence through the treatment, said the statement. Rishwanth is the youngest beneficiary to have benefited so far under this prosthetic scheme of CMCHIS at the hospital. The artificial leg also has a printed socket, specifically designed for children to make it easy for young children to use. The artificial leg given to the boy weighs below 500 gram and its carbon fibre foot and ankle have been made in a modern way for the first time to facilitate children's walking. The treatment for fitting the artificial leg could have caused ₹3 lakh in private facilities, it said.
The Hindu
10-05-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
100 beneficiaries receive hearing aids under CMCHIS in Salem
Salem District Collector R. Brindha Devi distributed hearing aids to 100 beneficiaries under the Chief Minister's Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme (CMCHIS) in a function held at the Government Mohan Kumaramangalam Medical College Hospital (GMKMCH) on Saturday. The beneficiaries received hearing aids worth ₹8,000 each at a total cost of ₹8 lakh. Speaking at the function, Collector Brindha Devi said, 'Hearing impairment can affect anyone from children to the elderly. Nerve issues, accidents, age-related issues, and bacterial infections in the centre of the ears can cause hearing loss. Modernised equipment is used at the ENT Department of Salem GMKMCH to conduct hearing tests on children and elderly persons. For people with hearing issues, hearing aids worth ₹25,000 to ₹50,000 are provided under the CMCHIS free of cost,' Ms. Brindha Devi added. The collector announced that 3,000 people received hearing aids through the CMCHIS program over the past three years. 'The National Programme for Prevention and Control of Deafness (NPPCD) has been conducting screenings for children using modern equipment. If hearing issues are detected in children under the age of six, cochlear implant surgeries are performed under the CMCHIS. Additionally, the GMKMCH PET scan center has been established over the past four years with an investment of ₹12 crore for cancer treatment,' she added. Explaining the services provided at the Secondary Care Hospital at Ammapet in Salem Corporation, Ms. Brindha Devi said that to provide medical services in nearby locations, a secondary care hospital was constructed at a cost of ₹43.65 crore in Ammapet. In the past four months, 6,500 patients availed various services in the hospital and nine surgeries were also performed, the collector added. The Collector later provided 2,495 bed sheets to GMKMCH. Hospital Dean J. Devi Meenal, Superintendent R. Rajkumar, and officials from concerned departments participated in the function.
The Hindu
06-05-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
Parts of T.N. face shortage of HIV test kits; mechanism sought to address issue
As in previous years, some parts of Tamil Nadu are yet again facing a shortage of HIV test kits. Over the past few months, government doctors and health staff have been raising concerns over the non-availability of adequate test kits. Sources said that while there were supply disruptions from the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO), Tamil Nadu, despite past experience, failed to put in place a mechanism to address the issue. Focused testing 'The primary objective is focused testing of high-risk groups and antenatal women. The ultimate goal is to screen the general population for HIV and sexually transmitted infections. So, we can meet the testing needs of high-risk groups through NACO's supply; and the State Health Department, along with Tamil Nadu State AIDS Control Society (TANSACS), should put in place a mechanism to ensure availability of kits for the general population,' an official source said. With an adult HIV/AIDS prevalence of 0.20% (among people aged 15 to 49), Tamil Nadu needs to have some guidelines or a mechanism in place to address this issue, instead of instructing districts to manage it through local purchases that could raise quality concerns, another source said. A health staff in a western district said they were told to use the available test kits only for high-risk groups. A doctor in a northern district said pregnant women were mandatorily tested for HIV/AIDS at Primary Health Centres (PHC), and their spouses were also tested for HIV/AIDS and venereal diseases along with blood grouping. 'Now, due to a shortage of kits, tests are done only for pregnant women in PHCs, and their spouses are referred to the government hospitals. We were told that oral instructions had been issued to the chief medical officers of the GHs to procure the required kits using the Chief Minister's Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme funds or make local purchases due to the shortage of kits,' he said. Doctors said the available kits were being used only for antenatal women and high-risk groups, and government hospitals and government medical college hospitals had been told to procure kits on their own for screening before surgeries. Another government doctor said the District AIDS Prevention and Control Unit provided dual-test kits for screening antenatal women. 'The most affected are government hospitals and government medical college hospitals. The reason is we screen patients who are taken up for general and orthopaedic surgeries. Now, if hospital administrators do not get kits through CMCHIS funds, surgeries could be performed without screening, thereby putting the surgical team at risk. This shortage surfaces now and then, and some hospitals have already spent a significant amount from the CMCHIS fund to procure kits to screen spouses of pregnant women and those undergoing surgeries. In fact, contact tracing (of those who test positive) has been left in the lurch for almost six months in some places,' he said. Despite attempts to reach TANSACS officials for comment, there was no response.
The Hindu
05-05-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
Parts of T.N. face shortage of HIV test kits, seek mechanism to address issue
As in previous years, some parts of Tamil Nadu are yet again facing a shortage of HIV test kits. Over the past few months, government doctors and health staff have been raising concerns over the non-availability of adequate test kits. Sources said that while there were supply disruptions from the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO), Tamil Nadu, despite past experience, failed to put in place a mechanism to address the issue. Focused testing 'The primary objective is focused testing of high-risk groups and antenatal women. The ultimate goal is to screen the general population for HIV and sexually transmitted infections. So, we can meet the testing needs of high-risk groups through NACO's supply; and the State Health Department, along with Tamil Nadu State AIDS Control Society (TANSACS), should put in place a mechanism to ensure availability of kits for the general population,' an official source said. With an adult HIV/AIDS prevalence of 0.20% (among people aged 15 to 49), Tamil Nadu needs to have some guidelines or a mechanism in place to address this issue, instead of instructing districts to manage it through local purchases that could raise quality concerns, another source said. A health staff in a western district said they were told to use the available test kits only for high-risk groups. A doctor in a northern district said pregnant women were mandatorily tested for HIV/AIDS at Primary Health Centres (PHC), and their spouses were also tested for HIV/AIDS and venereal diseases along with blood grouping. 'Now, due to a shortage of kits, tests are done only for pregnant women in PHCs, and their spouses are referred to the government hospitals. We were told that oral instructions had been issued to the chief medical officers of the GHs to procure the required kits using the Chief Minister's Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme funds or make local purchases due to the shortage of kits,' he said. Doctors said the available kits were being used only for antenatal women and high-risk groups, and government hospitals and government medical college hospitals had been told to procure kits on their own for screening before surgeries. Another government doctor said the District AIDS Prevention and Control Unit provided dual-test kits for screening antenatal women. 'The most affected are government hospitals and government medical college hospitals. The reason is we screen patients who are taken up for general and orthopaedic surgeries. Now, if hospital administrators do not get kits through CMCHIS funds, surgeries could be performed without screening, thereby putting the surgical team at risk. This shortage surfaces now and then, and some hospitals have already spent a significant amount from the CMCHIS fund to procure kits to screen spouses of pregnant women and those undergoing surgeries. In fact, contact tracing (of those who test positive) has been left in the lurch for almost six months in some places,' he said. Despite attempts to reach TANSACS officials for comment, there was no response.
