The State government will soon roll out the Tamil Nadu Health Systems Reforms Programme, aimed at improving the quality of care and strengthening the management of non-communicable diseases (NCD) among the poor.

The five-year programme will be implemented at a cost of ₹2,685.91 crore, 70% of which will be funded by the World Bank.

According to Health Department officials, a tripartite meeting among representatives of the World Bank, the Tamil Nadu government and the Department of Economic Affairs of the Union government was held on February 5.

“The minutes [of the meeting] were approved and signed by the three entities. It [the proposal] will be placed before the World Bank’s board. Once approved, it will be formally sent to the Government of India for executing the loan agreement,” an official said.

The programme will run from May 2019 to April 2024. “It will focus on improving the quality [of care], strengthening the management of NCDs and injuries and reducing inequities, including in reproductive and child health,” the official added.

Scheme for BPL families

Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Minister O. Panneerselvam announced in the Assembly on Friday that the State government will launch a comprehensive accident-cum-life insurance scheme, covering all Below Poverty Line (BPL) families.

The scheme will substantially increase the compensation to ₹2 lakh and ₹4 lakh for natural death and death due to accident, respectively, and provide ₹1 lakh for permanent disability, he said.