Tamil Nadu to create Unique Health ID for all

Aim is to improve State Health Index

The Tamil Nadu government will establish a population health registry and health IT platform, and assign a Unique Health ID to all residents, Health Minister Ma. Subramanian said in the Assembly on Thursday. The Unique Health ID will improve the State Health Index and help in achieving sustainable development goals, he said. He listed the decisions that the government had taken, including counselling to be given at all government medical college hospitals to children suffering from “internet addiction” and audiology tests to identify deafness among newborns at government medical college hospitals. Dementia clinics would be opened at all district headquarters hospitals as part of the geriatric mental health programme. Cognitive rehabilitation daycare centres would be established at all medical college hospitals for the elderly and mentally ill patients. All geriatric patients admitted to government medical college hospitals would be screened for cancer. “A committee of international and national mental health experts will be constituted to draft a policy to address the mental health needs of the homeless and ultra-vulnerable groups,” he said.