Chennai, Sept 21:

The eighth annual state conference of the Tamil Nadu All Health Nurses Association was held at Valluvar Kottam in Chennai. Health and Family Welfare Minister Arun Raj and Assembly Speaker J.C.D. Prabhakar participated as special guests and addressed the gathering.

Speaking at the conference, Minister Arun Raj said nurses had played an important role in his own medical education. “When I was studying medicine, it was a nurse who taught me how to administer an injection,” he said.

The Minister assured the gathering that the government was committed to the welfare of nurses. He said Chief Minister Vijay had special concern and affection for nurses and had instructed the Health Department to consider their demands when he visited the Egmore Children’s Hospital.

Arun Raj said nurses working in government hospitals would be appointed as teachers in newly established nursing colleges based on their qualifications. He assured that the legitimate demands of nurses would be addressed after discussions with their association.

He announced that 4,724 nurses would be appointed on a contractual basis through district health societies. He also said that an announcement regarding the regularisation of 2,500 nurses would be made soon, and assured nurses that there was no need for concern.

The Minister also urged nurses to treat other healthcare workers with compassion. He warned against middlemen or officials seeking money by promising appointments or transfers. He said appointments and transfers would be carried out in a completely transparent manner and that strict action would be taken against district health officials if complaints were received about demanding money.

Speaking at the event, Assembly Speaker J.C.D. Prabhakar said the Health Minister had been keen to implement several initiatives without waiting for lengthy deadlines. Referring to the government’s Singappen initiative, he suggested that a similar programme could be introduced for nurses.

The Speaker said nurses often had a better understanding of ground realities and patient conditions than doctors who had completed their medical studies. He said the nurses’ association had submitted 12 demands, with the removal of gender-based differences among the key demands. He assured that equal employment opportunities would be ensured for men and women.

Prabhakar also said the Muthulakshmi Reddy scheme would be shifted back to the Social Welfare Department. He said Chief Minister Vijay did not discriminate on the basis of caste or religion and referred to his own appointment as an example.

Later, speaking to reporters, Minister Arun Raj said the government would examine the nurses’ demands and take appropriate action. He said the department would hold discussions with the association and work towards fulfilling their legitimate demands.

He reiterated that B.Sc. and M.Sc. Nursing-qualified nurses would be appointed as teachers in new nursing colleges based on merit and eligibility.

On dengue, the Minister said the situation was currently under control compared with the previous year. He said 25,585 dengue cases had been recorded in 2025, while 17,049 cases had been reported so far this year.

He said officials were visiting houses to identify and remove stagnant water and that doctors had been given appropriate training to deal with dengue cases. The Health Department, Greater Chennai Corporation, Water Resources Department and other agencies were working together as part of a coordinated effort, he said.

Arun Raj stressed that public cooperation was also essential along with government measures. Referring to a recent inspection in Coimbatore, he said large quantities of stagnant rainwater had been found around houses.

He said the measures that had proved effective in previous years would continue. He also announced that a study would be conducted to identify effective ways to control mosquitoes and that successful solutions emerging from the study would be put into use.

Regarding reports of three students at Anna University allegedly dying of dengue, the Minister said the deaths were related to an infection caused by tick bites and not dengue. He said 5,145 cases of the infection had been recorded last year and 4,619 cases this year. The Health Department had also released awareness videos regarding the infection, he added.

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