Chennai, Aug 2 (PTI) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Saturday urged doctors not to view all those who come to hospitals as patients but see them as beneficiaries of health programmes.
Launching the statewide 'Nalam Kakkum Stalin', a comprehensive and specialised health screening camp here, he said the sole objective of this initiative was to improve the health of the people.
"Those who come to the hospital should be seen as beneficiaries of health initiatives and not as patients by the doctors," the CM said.
Recalling his brief hospitalisation for developing sudden giddiness during a morning walk last month, Stalin said while in the hospital he felt that he would feel better only if he met people and served them.
"That was why I continued to discharge my official duties as the chief minister from the hospital room, signing files and monitoring the government programmes. I interacted with officials despite the latter urging me to postpone my engagements for a week," Stalin said.
"Meeting people gives me energy, and I get cured," he added.
From the beginning, he was very particular that the Nalam Kakkum Stalin initiative reached the people at their doorsteps, including those in the rural areas, the chief minister said.
He stressed the need to cover every single person under this initiative. The public should take advantage of the camps and improve their quality of life, he added.
About 1,256 camps would be held across the state, including rural and tribal areas. Each camp will have 200 medical personnel. Priority will be given to people suffering from diabetes and high blood pressure, people with mental disorders, heart patients, pregnant mothers, lactating mothers, children with special needs, differently-abled people, tribals, and socio-economically backward people, Stalin said.
Apart from blood test, ECG, Echo, X-Ray, Scan, screening for tuberculosis, leprosy, cervical cancer and breast cancer for women will also be carried out at the camps.
"The reports that you get at these camps would be your ‘medical history.’ The reports would be useful for availing treatment at some other medical facility, too," the Chief Minister said and assured that through the camps, the welfare of everyone will be protected.
Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, Ministers Ma Subramanian and P K Sekhar Babu, Chennai Mayor R Priya, Chief Secretary N Muruganandam, and senior officials participated in the inaugural event held at the St. Bede’s Anglo Indian Higher Secondary School, here.