Chennai: World Bank has sanctioned $ 2.122 million for the Tamilnadu Health System Reform Program (TNHSRP). A symbolic cheque of the amount was received by Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami from World Bank Country Director for India Junaid Kamal Ahmad during the launch of the project in the city today.
Speaking during the event, Palaniswami said Tamilnadu has been consistently on the forefront in achieving the sustainable development goals in maternal mortality ratio and infant mortality rate.
He said that the State is aiming to achieve the maternal mortality rate of 30 before 2030. Palaniswami said that the TNHSRP supported by the World Bank at an estimated cost of $ 410 million was possible due to the sincere efforts taken and the results achieved while implementing the Tamilnadu Health Care Projects Phase I and Phase II by the Health department of government of Tamilnadu.
”I appreciate the Project Team which was in place right from 2004 onwards. I also thank the World Bank for its continuous support. This five year reform programme focuses on 3 key areas, namely improved quality of care, management of non-communicable diseases and injuries and reduced equity gaps in reproductive and child health,” he said.
He added that as part of the project, a suicide hotline will be introduced. Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, senior Ministers and top officials took part in the event.
Mega project tomorrow
Meanwhile, Palaniswami will be inaugurating a slew of welfare measures tomorrow and also lay the foundation stone for the project to divert surplus water from Mettur dam to 100 dry lakes on the banks of the Sarabanga river.
A press release said the project will be implemented at a cost of Rs 565 crore. Palaniswami will inaugurate the event at 10 am from the Mettupatti lake in Edappadi.
”Several requests were received to divert surplus water from Mettur to the lakes in dry regions such as Nangavalli, Vanavasi, Edappadi and Mecheri. Since these regions are above the Mettur dam level it was difficult to supply water by creating channels. Hence motors will be used to transfer water. By supplying water to these 100 lakes around 4,238 acre lands will get irrigation facilities,” the release added.
Later in the day, Palaniswami will be laying the foundation stone for a new government medical college which will come up at the Polupalli in Krishnagiri. The event will take place at 3 pm.
It may be noted that the Central government gave its nod for the medical college at Krishnagiri in November 2019 along with two other colleges in Thiruvallur and Nagapattinam. Of the total approved cost of Rs 325 crore for each district, the Central government will share 60 per cent (Rs 195 crore) while the remaining 40 per cent (Rs 130 crore) will be borne by the government of Tamilnadu.