The State did well on the SDG index, secured nod for an AIIMS in Madurai

The year was one of ups and downs for the health sector in Tamil Nadu.

There were a handful of accolades and achievements and an equal share of controversies.

But it was the fag end of the year that gave a jolt to the public health sector after a 23-year-old pregnant woman tested positive for HIV following a blood transfusion in a government hospital in Sattur.

Two awards

2018 saw the Health Department being commended on two occasions — an award from the Union Health Ministry for recording one of the highest annual declines in Neonatal Mortality Rate between 2015 and 2016 and best State award in cadaveric organ donation for the fourth year in a row.

The State’s efforts in improving its health indicators was evident in the SDG (Sustainable Development Goal) India Index 2018, released by NITI Aayog recently.

It ranked next to Kerala in one of the goals, ‘Good health and well-being’.

Health infrastructure got a shot in the arm this year after the Centre made an announcement that All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) would be established in the State.

It went on to select Thoppur in Madurai for setting up AIIMS.

February marked the State’s first bilateral hand transplant performed by surgeons of the Government Stanley Medical College Hospital.

The hands of a brain dead donor were transplanted onto a 29-year-old man. The year also marked the State’s first successful paediatric heart transplant in a government set-up at the Tamil Nadu Government Multi Super Specialty Hospital, Omandurar Estate.

Donor programme

However, the State’s much-lauded deceased donor programme was marred by charges of allocation of heart and lungs to foreigners after overlooking Indians on the organ wait list. It was another year of struggle with communicable diseases. Fever cases started to rise in October, and many cases of H1N1 influenza and dengue were reported from across the State. It was the death of seven-year-old twins due to complications of dengue that sent shock waves .

The year accounted for more than 2,400 H1N1 influenza cases and 15 deaths. There were more than 3,600 dengue cases across the State.

One of the highlights of the year was the Madras High Court banning online sale of medicines.

Online sale

It directed the Central government to notify the statutory rules on the online sale of medicines by January 31, 2019.

As a new year dawns, the case of the pregnant woman getting HIV positive blood will continue to be a nightmare for the health sector of Tamil Nadu.