TN Health minister says there is no plan to hand over IMH to NGO or to privatise

CHENNAI: Clarifying on the state health department’s plan to transfer the operations of the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) to a Not-For-Profit fully government owned company, from the current direct management of government, Health minister said it will not be privatized or handed over to not-for-profit company.

Ma Subramanian on Monday clarified that the infrastructural work will be carried out at the IMH with CSR fund and added that department secretary's order was only aimed at improving the infrastructure and management at IMH.

Ma Subramanian was interacting with media persons on Monday while inspecting the special burn ward with 25 beds at Government Kilpauk College and Hospital ahead of Deepavali.

He said that this Deepavali, he hopes that nobody gets fire cracker injuries, " but we are prepared with precautionary measures".

The minister said, "To be cautious during the festival season, we have set up a special burn ward with 25 beds (male - 12, female - 8 and children - 5 beds). For the last two years, after setting up special burn ward at the hospital, we were able to treat burn injury patients immediately and prevent fatalities."

Initially, Kilpauk hospital had only two beds at burn wards, but it has gradually increased and now as many as 75 beds available at the burn ward.

More than 2,000 burn injury cases including flame, acid, crackers, and chemical injuries have been treated at the hospital every year.

Additionally, an awareness program was conducted for the public on how to handle the crackers safely without getting burn injuries.

The public are advised to avoid taking selfies while bursting crackers which is the prior reason for major burn injury.

"Even though awareness was created among the public ahead of the festival regarding safety measures. The government hospitals with burn wards across the state are ready to treat patients with cracker burn injuries during Deepavali. The doctors, nurses and operation theatres will be available round the clock to treat the emergency case patients at the hospitals," said Subramanian.