Latest news with #ThamizhachiThangapandian
The Hindu
3 days ago
- Health
- The Hindu
T.N.'s non-communicable diseases screening programme for workplaces to now cover small enterprises and offices
Expanding the workplace-based, non-communicable diseases (NCDs) screening programme, the Health Department on Thursday rolled out the initiative to cover 7,750 small business enterprises and offices targeting nearly 6 lakh employees across the State. Health Minister Ma. Subramanian launched the initiative, which was one of the 118 announcements made in the Health Budget 2025-2026, at an establishment in Guindy Industrial Estate. He told reporters that the Thozhilalargal Thedi Maruthuvam, which was rolled out in January 2024 to cover nearly 8.35 lakh employees in 711 factories, has so far screened 3,90,111 people. Of them, 30,506 were newly diagnosed with diabetes, hypertension, or both. Apart from them, 12,468 people, who were already diagnosed with NCDs, continued to receive care under the initiative. The aim was to conduct camps at the workplaces to ensure that working men and women were screened for NCDs. In a bid to expand this programme, the department announced that employees of all small business enterprises will be screened for NCDs. In the first phase, the department aims to cover nearly 6 lakh employees in 7,750 small enterprises and offices that include the information technology sector and commercial establishments' employees, he added. Meanwhile, a total of 2,34,88,431 people have so far benefited under Makkalai Thedi Maruthuvam, the State government's flagship scheme to take healthcare to the doorsteps of people that was launched in 2021. In Chennai alone, 25,92,103 people have benefited under the scheme. MP (Chennai South) Thamizhachi Thangapandian, Director of Public Health and Preventive Medicine T.S. Selvavinayagam and officials of the Greater Chennai Corporation were present.
The Hindu
30-05-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
Access to dignified menstrual hygiene practices should be a right, says Thamizhachi
We are one-quarter of the way through the 21st century, yet menstrual health is still seen as a private matter, whispered about behind closed doors. However, experts argue that it is high time menstrual health be recognised as a public health issue affecting millions of women and adolescents worldwide. From the moment Sowmya Simhan, a disability activist, who spent over four decades of her early and professional life in a caliper or crutches, got ready to school or work, and returned home, there was no space to address the discomfort or the stigma that came with changing a sanitary napkin. At an event organised by Sanitation First, in collaboration with the office of the Lok Sabha MP Thamizhachi Thangapandian, to mark World Menstrual Health Day 2025, Ms. Simhan explained how she had to fit into a world not designed for her needs and faced long days in classrooms and offices without privacy or proper facilities to manage her menstrual health. According to T.S. Padmapriya, Chief Executive of Sanitation First, a study of 8000 women conducted by their organisation paints a stark picture. One in three women suffers from some form of menstrual disorder and one in four women and one in three adolescents experience heavy menstrual bleeding, a condition that, when untreated, can lead to moderate or severe anaemia. Thiripurasundari Thiyagarajan, a sexual and reproductive health expert, pointed out that women in unorganised sectors — such as domestic workers, sanitation workers, and agricultural labourers — are often the hardest hit. 'We need to demand dignified spaces, because menstrual health and safety are not just the responsibility of individual workers,' Dr. Thiyagarajan said. Panelists also discussed actionable policy opportunities, data-driven research, transgender inclusion, and implementation strategies for inclusive menstrual health. Ms. Thangapandian, who was part of a panel with experts including Georgina Harding, Chief Executive Officer, The Cycle, stressed the need for radical policy changes that treat menstrual health as a right, urging collaboration between Health, Labour, and Education departments to create inclusive solutions. She highlighted the importance of incorporating marginalised voices, especially women in rural areas, in decision-making and called for equal gender representation in policy-making panels to ensure more inclusive and sensitive approaches to menstrual health.
Time of India
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Thamizhachi takes up Medavakkam woes with Chengalpet collector
Chennai: South Chennai MP Thamizhachi Thangapandian wrote to Chengalpattu district collector S Arunraj, urging immediate intervention to resolve a host of civic issues plaguing Medavakkam. In her letter dated May 21, she said the area, which falls under her constituency, was grappling with poor roads, sanitation issues, visual pollution, and severe traffic violations—conditions she said were steadily worsening residents' quality of life. "The condition of internal roads near Medavakkam Junction, especially those connecting Jalladinpet, St John's School, and Perumbakkam, are in a dilapidated state," she wrote, noting large potholes, uneven surfaces, and eroded edges posed serious threats to motorists and pedestrians. She flagged the stretch beneath the Medavakkam flyover as a major sanitation blackspot. "It has turned into an open dumping yard with mounds of garbage blocking the road, producing unbearable stench and obstructing movement," she said. The MP also pointed to heaps of illegally dumped construction materials and sand that were choking the road and footpaths, while metro-related dust and pollution were compounding health and visibility hazards. Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo Adding to residents' woes were traffic violations and lack of enforcement, she said. "Vehicles routinely drive on the wrong side and haphazardly park under the flyover, especially near commercial zones, creating gridlocks," she said. Thangapandian also criticized the unchecked defacement of public spaces with posters and banners, calling it a source of visual pollution.
