Tamil Nadu Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay on Wednesday announced an increase in the annual coverage under Chief Minister’s Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 25 lakh.Outlining significant new initiatives to improve the state’s healthcare system, the chief minister emphasised that medical care is a fundamental right, not a privilege, and the government aims to remove barriers to quality healthcare regardless of income or location.Hence, the annual coverage under the state government’s CMCHIS will be increased to Rs 25 lakh from the present sum of Rs 5 lakh, he said making an announcement under Rule 110 in the Assembly.He announced that a multi-speciality 400-bed hospital of international standards will be built in Perambur, North Chennai, at an estimated cost of Rs 300 crore.Support for transgender individuals for specialised medical and surgical services under the state insurance scheme will be provided at seven government medical college hospitals, including those in Chennai, Tirunelveli, Tuticorin, and Kanyakumari.Further, Vijay said to address a shortage of medical staff, Rs 351 crore will be invested to create additional student seats in nursing and pharmacy programs. This included starting seven new nursing colleges and expanding capacity in existing institutions.The Chief Minister’s Cancer Care Mission will be upgraded with a budget of Rs 677.44 crore and additionally, a new integrated cancer treatment unit (G+4 floors) will be established at the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital in Chennai for Rs 471.80 crore, and five regional cancer centres will be established in districts including Thanjavur, Coimbatore, and Madurai.Advanced equipment, including robotic surgery systems and linear accelerators, along with HPV DNA testing for women in specific districts to prioritise early detection (of high-risk types of human papillomavirus that may lead to Cervical cancer) and nutrition support, will be provided, Vijay said.Vijay also announced official vehicles and a monthly allowance to the MLAs to address public grievances in their respective constituencies.Making an announcement under Rule 110 in the Assembly, he said the new support measures consisting of a vehicle and an allowance for the MLAs will help them travel across their constituencies to address public grievances and monitor government projects without depending on others.