The World Bank funded Rs 560-crore Tamilnadu Health Systems Development Project (HSDP), aimed to improve the government-sponsored healthcare infrastructure in the state, is likely to take off by October 2004.

Planned for a period of five years since commencement of the project, the main activities to be taken up under HSDP include improvement and repair of hospital buildings and construction of new hospital infrastructure, provision of equipment and hospital supplies, ambulances, training to the doctors and paramedical staff and improvement of management of the hospitals.

Sources said the main objective of the project is to improve the health outcome of the people with special reference to poor, especially in remote and inaccessible areas. Several interventions have been planned for reducing infant, child and maternal mortality and morbidity. The project would also develop effective models to combat non-communicable diseases like diabetes, hypertension, cardio vascular diseases, cancer etc. Establishment of a comprehensive Health Care Waste Management System in government hospitals is also part of the project.

HSDP also envisages extending support for training, implementing a state networked Health Management Information System, NGO supported activities, tribal health, and Public Private Partnership related to district, taluk and non-taluk hospitals in the state. The project will cover 26 district headquarters hospitals and 244 taluk and non-taluk level hospitals, according to official sources.

Tamil Nadu is the first state selected to implement the "second generation" State Health Systems Development Project in India by the World Bank. The World Bank team has made several visits to Tamil Nadu and finalized the activities to be done under the project. The appraisal mission had visited Tamil Nadu during July this year, and the project is likely to take off by October 2004, said sources.