The Tamil Nadu government plans to study the reasons behind the decline in government hospital deliveries and promote public healthcare facilities to encourage more women to choose them for childbirth.
CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Health and Family Welfare Minister KG Arunraj on Sunday said the state government would take measures to increase the number of deliveries taking place in government hospitals, after their share declined significantly over the past several years.
Speaking to reporters after inaugurating the OGSSI Midyear Conference 2026 in Chennai, Arunraj said nearly 99% of deliveries in Tamil Nadu take place in hospitals, with home deliveries now relatively uncommon.
Government hospital deliveries fall to 51%
According to the minister, the share of deliveries in government hospitals declined from 65.8% during 2017-19 to 51% in 2025-26.
He said the government is concerned about the trend, particularly because families from economically weaker sections may find private hospital deliveries expensive.
To encourage more women to choose government hospitals, the state has introduced the Thai Maman Thanga Mothiram (TMTM) Scheme, Arunraj said.
The government will also examine the reasons behind the decline and undertake measures to improve awareness about services available at government hospitals.
Focus on maternal health
Arunraj said Tamil Nadu’s maternal mortality rate remains lower than that of several other states, but the government is continuing efforts to reduce it further.
He said various programmes, including the TMTM Scheme, are aimed at strengthening maternal and reproductive healthcare services.
Tamil Nadu’s fertility rate also a concern
The minister also highlighted the state’s declining total fertility rate (TFR).
He said Tamil Nadu’s current TFR is around 1.3, below the replacement-level figure of 2.1. According to him, the ageing population could create challenges for the state’s future workforce.
“Human resources are our best resources,” Arunraj said, stressing the importance of improving and maintaining the state’s human-resource base.
Medical counselling merit list on August 10
Meanwhile, the minister announced that the medical counselling schedule and merit list for Tamil Nadu will be published on August 10.
He also warned private medical colleges against illegally collecting fees beyond the prescribed period. A newly constituted committee is examining complaints related to such fee collections, he said, adding that strict action would be taken against institutions found violating the rules.
Aadhaar not mandatory for treatment
Responding to reports of pregnant women facing long queues at outpatient registration counters, Arunraj clarified that Aadhaar is not mandatory for receiving treatment at government hospitals.
He said no government hospital can deny treatment because a patient does not have an Aadhaar card.
The minister also highlighted a digital facility through which patients can generate an outpatient registration receipt from home using a smartphone, potentially reducing waiting times at hospital counters.
‘Payani’ water scheme and policy continuity
On the renaming of the ‘Amma Kudineer’ initiative as the ‘Payani’ water bottle scheme, Arunraj said policy continuity was important.
He said welfare initiatives would continue irrespective of changes in their names and that the government’s priority was to ensure that the intended benefits reached the public without leakages.
Arunraj attacks DMK over delimitation meeting
Responding to questions about the recent meeting of MPs on the delimitation issue, Arunraj said neither the government nor Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay would succumb to pressure.
He criticised the DMK for boycotting the all-party MPs’ meeting on delimitation and questioned why the party stayed away from an issue concerning the state’s parliamentary representation.
Arunraj argued that the DMK should have participated in the meeting instead of linking its attendance to the absence of an all-party meeting on the Cauvery issue.
