Udhay says people will dial 108 for AIADMK’s ICU admission

CHENNAI: Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin on Monday accused AIADMK general secretary and Leader of Opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami of obstructing ambulances during his public meetings and said the party’s political fortunes were headed towards the “ICU.”

Inaugurating a new 120-bed government hospital building at Saidapet, constructed at a cost of Rs 29 crore, Udhayanidhi alleged that Palaniswami recently stood in the middle of a road while addressing a meeting, preventing an ambulance from passing the stretch. “You may be trying to stop ambulances today, but the people of TN will soon create a situation where your party will be forced to travel in an ambulance. I assure you that our Chief Minister will take responsibility for saving you too, as your party will soon be admitted to the ICU,” he said.

Turning to governance, Udhayanidhi said the State was sustaining Tamil Nadu’s reputation as the “medical capital of India” through projects prioritising healthcare. He cited the Kalaignar Centenary Super Speciality Hospital at Guindy, completed in ten months at a cost of Rs 240 crore, and the launch of 208 Urban Health and Wellness Centres.

He added that the “Makkalai Thedi Maruthuvam” scheme, introduced during the pandemic, had won the United Nations Task Force award, while the State also received the national award for organ donation. Udhayanidhi listed schemes such as ‘Innuyir Kappom, Nammai Kaakkum 48’ to help accident victims and ‘Nalam Kaakkum Stalin’ health camps as evidence of the government’s continued focus on public health.

Ministers KN Nehru, Ma Subramanian, MLAs and senior health officials were present at the event.