Health Minister K.G. Arunraj on Friday said the State government was now pushing for the next generation of reforms in the public health sector, focusing on patient experiences.

Previously, the emphasis was on filling vacant posts of doctors, nurses, and technicians, and providing the necessary equipment, he said.

“We want to minimise the hardships faced by patients in the government health sector. This would include waiting time, cleanliness, and the way they are treated by government staff,” he said.

“The government’s mission is to make government hospitals comparable to private hospitals. Our healthcare delivery system should ensure that each and every citizen has access to world-class quality healthcare in any government hospital,” the Minister said.

Healthcare delivery is about rights, he said, adding: “We want to ensure that the poor and needy get all the facilities that are available in the private sector.”

The Minister was speaking at “GEM TECHNOSURG 2026”, an international conference and live demonstrative workshop organised by GEM Hospital.

Health tourism

Dr. Arunraj said the State government was planning to promote health tourism. Discussions are in the initial stages to develop a “medicity” to create more revenue for the country and more local employment for those in the health sector, he said.

With doctors from Tamil Nadu spread across the world, he said they were thinking of organising a conference of Tamil doctors. “There are many successful Tamil doctors all over the world. They can come here and share their experiences. We can look at how they can contribute to the public healthcare system of the State,” Dr. Arunraj said.

He also called for partnering with the private healthcare sector.

‘Operation Infinity’

On the occasion, the Minister launched “Operation Infinity”, an interconnected dual-city robotic surgery network. It connects robotic surgery infrastructure at GEM Hospitals in Chennai and Coimbatore. He also launched the Association for Surgical Technology Robotics and AI.

P. Senthinathan, director, GEM Hospital Chennai, said that through “Operation Infinity”, they were taking telesurgery to the next level.

A press release said this would enable expert surgeons to provide real-time guidance, share diagnostic feeds, and collaborate on intricate procedures across distances without delay. The highlights of the network includes dual-console inter-connectivity, AI-driven engineering, and expanded expert access.

C. Palanivelu, chairman, GEM Hospital, said around 750 surgeons from all over India were taking part in the conference, which combined surgical techniques and technology.

Mylswamy Annadurai, former Director of ISRO Satellite Centre, and P. Praveen Raj, chief executive officer and joint managing director, GEM Hospital, also spoke.