# Department of Health and Family Welfare (Tamil Nadu)

The Department of Health and Family Welfare is one of the departments of Government of Tamil Nadu and is responsible for ensuring access to basic public health services in the state.

## Objective

The responsibility of the department is to make quality medical facilities available and accessible to the people, to focus on preventing diseases and to promote adoption of healthy life style.

## Overview

The state has robust health facilities and ranks higher in all health related parameters such as high life expectancy of 74 years (sixth) and 98.4% institutional delivery (second). Of the three demographically related targets of the Millennium Development Goals set by the United Nations and expected to be achieved by 2015, Tamil Nadu achieved the goals related to improvement of maternal health and of reducing infant mortality and child mortality by 2009.

## Infrastructure

The public health infrastructure in the state includes both government-run hospitals and health centers managed by the department of health. As of 2023, the state had 404 public hospitals, 1,776 public dispensaries, 11,030 health centers and 481 mobile units run by the government with a capacity of more than 94,700 beds. The General Hospital in Chennai was established in 16 November 1664 and was the first major hospital in India. Tamil Nadu is a major center for medical tourism and Chennai is termed as "India's health capital". Medical tourism forms an important part of the economy with more than 40% of total medical tourists visiting India making it to Tamil Nadu.

## Medical education

There are over 870 medical, nursing and dental colleges in the state including 21 for traditional medicine and four for modern medicine of which 79 public medical colleges and research institutes are run by the department. Madras Medical College was established in 1835 and is one of the oldest medical colleges in India. As per the National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) rankings in 2023, eight medical colleges from the state are ranked amongst the top 100 in the country.

## Other services

The department is responsible for the administration of vaccination such as free polio vaccine for eligible age groups and Covid-19 vaccine. The department is also responsible for the implementation of state health insurance scheme for eligible beneficiaries. The department also manages and runs emergency care ambulances across the state. It is also engaged in prevention, education and treatment of specific diseases such as AIDS and Tuberculosis. The department also manages special undertakings responsible for maternal and neonatal health, mental health and welfare of the blind. Food safety and inspection, drug approval and control are also functions under the purview of the health department.

## Sub-departments

The following sub-departments and undertakings operate under the department:

### Sub-departments

* Department of Food Safety & Drug Administration (DFSDA)
* Directorate of Drugs Control (DDC)
* Directorate of Family Welfare (DFW)
* Directorate of Indian Medicine and Homeopathy (DIMH)
* Directorate of Medical Education (DME)
* Directorate of Medical and Rural Health Services (DMRHS)
* Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine (DPHPM)
* National Rural Health Mission (NRHM)
* Tamil Nadu State Health Transport Department (TSHTD)

### Undertakings and bodies

* Medicinal Plant Farms and Herbal Medicine Corporation (TAMPCOL)
* Tamil Nadu Health System Project (TNHSP)
* Tamil Nadu Medical Services Corporation Limited (TNMSC)
* Tamil Nadu State AIDS Control Society (TSAIDS)
* Tamil Nadu State Blindness Control Society (TSBCS)
* Transplant Authority of Tamil Nadu (TRANSTAN)

## Ministers

Ministers Health and Family Welfare (Tamilnadu) :
| Name | Term of office | Term of office |
| A. B. Shetty | 13 April 1954 | 13 April 1957 |
| Jothi Venkatachalam | 1962 | 1963 |
| S. J. Sadiq Pasha | 6 March 1967 | 10 February 1969 |
| V. R. Nedunchezhiyan | 10 February 1969 | 4 January 1971 |
| K. Anbazhagan | 15 March 1971 | 31 January 1976 |
| M. G. Ramachandran (Chief Minister) | 30 June 1977 | 6 May 1978 |
| R. Soundararajan | 7 May 1978 | 17 February 1980 |
| Dr. H.V.Hande | 9 June 1980 | 21 October 1986 |
| P. U. Shanmugam | 22 October 1986 | 30 January 1988 |
| K. Ponmudy | 27 January 1989 | 30 January 1991 |
| S. Muthusamy | 24 June 1991 | 12 May 1996 |
| Arcot N. Veeraswami | 13 May 1996 | 13 May 2001 |
| S. Semmalai | 22 May 2001 | 2 June 2003 |
| Thalavai Sundaram | 3 June 2003 | 12 May 2006 |
| M. R. K. Panneerselvam | 13 May 2006 | 15 May 2011 |
| Dr. V.S.Vijay | 16 May 2011 | 27 February 2013 |
| K. C. Veeramani | 28 February 2013 | 31 October 2013 |
| Dr. C.Vijaya Baskar | 1 November 2013 | 6 May 2021 |
| M. Subramaniam | 7 May 2021 | Incumbent |