Union Health Minister Assures to Study CPI(M) MP Sachithanantham’s Considerations on Healthcare in A&N Islands

Tarun Karthick

Sri Vijaya Puram, 21 August 2025

Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare, Mr. Jagat Prakash Nadda in a letter dated August 11, 2025, has assured CPI(M) Tamil Nadu MP, Mr. R. Sachithanantham, that issues raised by him over insufficient healthcare services within the Andaman & Nicobar Islands are being examined by the Ministry.

Earlier, on July 31, MP Mr. Sachithanantham had written to the Union Health Minister drawing consideration to the “impoverished state” of medical care within the territory. He identified that the Andaman & Nicobar Islands Institute of Medical Sciences (ANIIMS) is dealing with acute shortages in infrastructure, important tools, and specialist docs. According to him, even primary diagnostic services like MRI are both non-functional or in poor situation and sufferers are referred exterior. Due to lack of services sufferers are pressured to hunt therapy on the mainland at Chennai or Kolkata — an possibility many islanders can not afford.

The CPI(M) MP additional emphasised that ANIIMS urgently requires round 650 core employees members throughout departments to operate successfully. He famous {that a} proposal for approval of those posts has already been submitted to the Ministry.

Highlighting the challenges confronted in rural areas, Mr. Sachithanantham stated District Hospitals and Community Health Centres stay ill-equipped, with some services missing even Duty Medical Officers. He urged rapid appointments of adequate docs “on a war footing.”

The MP additionally alleged irregularities within the provide of medicines. He expressed concern that the present procurement course of via GeM tendering usually fails, leaving sufferers with out enough provides.

Appealing for pressing intervention, Mr. Sachithanantham requested the Health Minister to publish adequate specialist docs, guarantee common provide of high quality medicines, and set up trendy diagnostic tools, together with practical MRI Equipment. He stated such measures wouldn’t solely safeguard the well being of island residents but in addition strengthen India’s picture amongst worldwide vacationers visiting the islands.