more-in MADURAI Principal Secretary (Health and Family Welfare) J. Radhakrishnan on Saturday appealed to private hospitals to bring down treatment cost. Speaking at the inauguration of the fifth edition of MEDex exhibition and conference orgasnised by the Confederation of Indian Industry here, he said owing to the effective implementation of Chief Minister’s Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme and other such measures, the out-of-pocket health expenditure for patients was already the lowest in the the State. However, he said, the hospitals could try to bring it down further so that even advanced treatment for diseases would become affordable to all sections of society. Stating that Tamil Nadu was already a pioneer in healthcare, he said Madurai was all set to become a healthcare hub in not only India but in South Asia. With the setting up of All India Institute of Medical Sciences, implementation of various infrastructure development projects at Government Rajaji Hospital and the presence of a number of private hospitals providing the best healthcare, this would happen in the near future, he said. He said medical infrastructure across government hospitals in Tamil Nadu was being improved with the implementation of a number of projects, including introduction of CT scan facility in 17 places, cathlab in 11 places, cobalt therapy in 15 places and MRI facility in 13 places. Responding to a request from the CII to simplify the regulatory mechanisms for setting up new nursing homes and bring in a single-window clearance system, he said the possibility would certainly be explored in consultation with stakeholders. S. Natarajan, Collector, spoke on preventive measures taken by the district administration to improve public health and explained how private hospitals could cooperate more efficiently. M. Ponnuswami, chairman, CII - Tamil Nadu, appealed to the government to increase the ceiling on height of hospital buildings. Rohini Sridhar, chairman, MEDEx 2018, and Chief Operating Officer, Apollo Speciality Hospitals, Madurai, said the conference not only brought together hospitals and sellers of medical equipment but also had sessions to enlighten medical practitioners on regulatory framework. D. Maruthupandian, Dean, GRH, S. Rajamohan, chairman, CII Madurai Zone, and Nagaraj Krishnan, vice-chairman, also spoke.

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