Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone for an All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), to come up at Thoppur near Madurai at a cost of ₹1,264 crore.
During an event, PM Modi inaugurated three super-specialty hospitals, which were built on the premises of government medical colleges in Madurai, Tirunelveli, and Thanjavur at a total cost of ₹450 crore which comes under the Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY). Apart from this, PM also launched 12 Post Office Passport Seva Kendras in the State.
The Prime Minister addressed the gathering and appreciated the Tamil Nadu government for the progress it had made in eradicating tuberculosis.
Though, the Union government was targeting the eradication of tuberculosis from the country by 2025, the Prime Minister said he was happy to note that Tamil Nadu through initiatives like ‘TB-free Chennai’ was targeting the eradication of the disease by 2023.
PM Modi stated that the NDA government at the Centre is giving importance to the health sector to ensure universal and affordable healthcare. He also highlighted schemes like PMSSY, Ayushman Bharat and the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY), which were being implemented for this purpose. The Prime Minister mentioned that 1.57 crore people from T.N. were covered under the PMJAY insurance scheme, out of which 89,000 had made claims to the tune of ₹200 crore in the last three months alone.
Interestingly, AIIMS in Madurai will benefit the entire population of Tamil Nadu, said the Prime Minister.
