Both Central and Tamilnadu governments have been implementing various health schemes.

Under the scheme ‘health for all’ that covers rural areas, a sum of Rs 22,300 crore has been earmarked by the Centre and the State government.

Stating this while speaking at the inauguration of an outpatient block at Appasamy Hospitals at Arumbakkam in Chennai yesterday, Union Minister for Shipping G K Vasan said that this hospital has been doing yeoman service for the past 10 years in the form of eye camps, dialysis for the poor patients, etc, etc.

Appasamy Group has been manufacturing cataract lens, slits and equipment and ranks number two in the world in this field, according to its CEO B L Sampath Kumar.

Later briefing the press, director of Appasamy Hospitals Ramamurthy said that taxes in the country were progressive and nowhere in the world manufacturing tax, excise duty and VAT were being levied. Over 60 years, this has been the state of affairs.

Ninety per cent of the medical gadgets were being imported with only 10 per cent locally manufactured. The country can compete with the multinationals if taxes were not progressive, he said.

Leader of Congress Legislature Party D Sudharssanam, Principal Secretary-Health and Family Welfare V K Subburaj, ruling party leader in Corporation of Chennai N Ramalingam, former State Information Commissioner S Ramakrishnan, retired IAS officers A M Swaminathan and R Varadarajulu, managing director of Tamilnadu Civil Supplies Corporation Veerashanmugamani, Additional Director General of Police T Radhakrishnan, Joint director-Agriculture Vasuki, Father of Hand Surgery Dr R Venkatasmy, chairman of Zone 5 of the Corporation S Suresh Babu and Ward 74 member D Ramesh were present.