Health Minister K.G. Arunraj said on Saturday that the NalamAI WhatsApp chatbot service will be implemented in a phased manner at all government hospitals across the State on Saturday.
He inaugurated the annual conference of the Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry Association of Neurologists at Hosur in Krishnagiri district. He also made a surprise visit to the district government headquarters hospital in Hosur and interacted with the patients and their relatives.
Speaking to reporters, Dr. Arunraj said the hospital had 500 beds and was staffed by 27 doctors at present, but the number will be increased to 36 soon. The number of nurses will also be increased from 56 to 125. Through the CRRI internship, 30 medical graduates who completed their studies in foreign countries have been deployed as interns. Likewise, postgraduate doctors are allotted to the hospital for three months under the district residency programme. A cath lab was provided to Krishnagiri district and ₹10 crore was allocated to the Uthangarai government hospital.
To reduce the queues in government hospitals, the NalamAI WhatsApp chatbot service was implemented at the Department of Respiratory Medicine in Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital in Chennai on a pilot basis. Following the success of this programme, it will be implemented in all government hospitals across the State in a phased manner, Dr. Arunraj added.
Those already enrolled in the Chief Minister’s Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme will receive increased medical coverage of ₹25 lakh, up from ₹5 lakh, Dr. Arunraj said.
On a daily basis, the Health Department is closely monitoring dengue fever cases and as a preventive measure, more mosquito breeding checkers will be appointed soon. On Friday, 720 camps were conducted across the State. As many as 1,000 mobile clinics have also been announced for the welfare of people living in hilly areas. Steps will be taken to establish a 100-bedded ESI hospital in Hosur, he added.
