At the DPHICON 2023, a significant public health conference in Madurai, the state’s IT minister, Palanivel Thiaga Rajan, emphasized the increasing reliance on larger government hospitals in Tamil Nadu. He stressed the urgency for an improved patient information system to enhance healthcare delivery.
During the conference’s second day, PTR addressed the financing of primary healthcare and the effective utilization of technology. Despite Tamil Nadu boasting a favourable patient-doctor ratio compared to many OECD countries, he acknowledged the state’s challenge in maintaining a low Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) and Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) like Kerala does. PTR highlighted the overcrowding in major government hospitals, identifying them as breeding grounds for infections, citing Lancet studies.
He expressed concerns about the complex and confusing layout of these hospitals, likening them to Disneyland, making navigation challenging for the common visitor. Stressing the need for standardized designs, digital maps, and clear signage within hospital premises, he aimed to ensure ease of navigation for patients.
PTR outlined three areas for improvement: faster lab results and streamlined sample collection, better maintenance of patient information systems ensuring patient privacy, and revamping the administrative processes to enhance healthcare efficacy. He highlighted the necessity to enhance spending on research and development in healthcare, advocating for leveraging Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds to improve supply chains, considering the reduced administrative process in utilizing CSR funding.
Underlining the significance of investing in primary healthcare, PTR inaugurated two fair-price shops before attending the conference.
The Director of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, TS Selvavinayagam, highlighted the conference’s theme, ‘Public Health – The Future,’ aiming to disseminate crucial information and best practices in public health. The conference features speakers from international bodies like WHO, UNICEF, and UNDP, discussing various public health issues and includes the publication of around 100 scientific articles.
