'My Hospital My Pride', a new initiative to upgrade the health care services in government hospitals, will soon be implemented in the State, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister announced on July 17.

Making a Statement under Rule 110 in the State Assembly, he said the new scheme would be implemented with social and like-minded industry participation. This scheme was not only aimed at upgrading the health care services to the people, but would also give a new look to the government hospitals.

Announcing a slew of measures for health and other departments, he said, in yet another pioneering initiative, 32 automatic drug vending machines, offering 28 types of medicines, would be installed in 23 government medical college hospitals and in Greater Chennai Corporation and five Urban health centres at a cost of Rs 80 lakhs. Apart from setting up of a Centre for Excellence at a cost of Rs 120 crore at the Karappettai Government Arignar Anna memorial Cancer Hospital in Kancheepuram, Mr Palaniswami also announced that all additional and primary health care centres in the state would be upgraded as Welfare centres at a cost of Rs 105 crore to provide upgraded healthcare facilities to the people offering disease prevention, disease reduction, pain relief, rehabilitation and other services.

He also announced new buildings at a cost of Rs 79.93 crore for 296 deputy health care centres under the 'Health for All' scheme,
upgradation of Erode district headquarters hospital as a Super Speciality hospital at a cost of Rs 67.76 crore, setting up of Multi-disciplinary critical care unit in 32 districts to prevent fatalities of accident victims during the golden period at a cost of Rs 49 crore.
The Chief Minister also announced a toll-free counselling helpline '104' would be set up in 22 Medical colleges in the state at a cost
of Rs 6.72 crore to prevent suicides.