Tamil Nadu state health department on Wednesday launched a cosmetic surgery clinic in a government medical college offering free breast implants surgery.

The clinic in Stanley Medical College aims to provide the poor in Tamil Nadu an opportunity to avail of 'beauty treatment' that is restricted to the rich and wealthy, reported The Times of India.

Health minister C Vijaya Baskar said: "If we don't offer, they (women opting for breast implants) may opt for dangerous methods or take huge loans for it."

According to a health Index report, jointly prepared by the World Bank and Niti Aayog, Tamil Nadu has the third best healthcare facilities in the country, after Kerala and Punjab, but critics questioned whether the state can afford to ignore basic healthcare and incur expenses on cosmetic surgeries.

“The scheme sounds populist..State funds are required for emerging non communicable diseases and communicable diseases. It is sad that we are now focusing on beauty instead of life-saving surgeries.” former public health director Dr S Elango told the daily.

Breast implants is the most common cosmetic surgery, with more than 1.5 million women around the world going under the knife in 2015, said a report by Reuters.

"We have been doing surgeries to reconstruct entire breasts or a part for cancer victims. Now, we plan to do surgeries for those who want to increase or reduce their breast size," the TOI report quoted head of plastic surgery Dr V Ramadevi who further said that undergoing breast surgery will not only help get rid of physical ailments in some, but boost women's confidence.

The free cosmetic surgery clinic also offers surgical cure for cleft lip in children among others.

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