Tamil Nadu Plans Five Telemedicine Hubs to Expand Specialist Care Across Rural Areas

The state plans to expand the telemedicine network progressively over the next five years, increasing its reach from the initial 200 spokes to a total of 1,000 hubs & spokes.

Tamil Nadu has initiated steps to establish a state-wide telemedicine programme aimed at improving access to specialist medical care in remote and rural areas.

The proposed network will begin with five super speciality hubs connected to 200 primary health centres and government hospitals through an online system.

The initiative follows a Budget announcement by Finance Minister N. Marie Wilson earlier this year, outlining plans to introduce a hub-and-spoke telemedicine model to connect patients in underserved areas with specialist doctors. The government has allocated INR 18.5 Cr for establishing the network.

Under the proposed model, the five super speciality hubs will provide specialist consultations through digital connections with healthcare facilities functioning as spokes.

This approach is intended to help patients access specialised medical advice closer to where they live, potentially reducing the need to travel to major hospitals for consultations.

According to a recent communication from the National Health Mission (NHM), Tamil Nadu, to the Directorate of Medical Education and Research (DME), a proposal for the State Hub-and-Spoke Telemedicine Programme has been submitted to the government.

The five proposed hubs will be located at Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital and Government Omandurar Medical College Hospital in Chennai; Government Rajaji Hospital at Madurai Medical College in Madurai; Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Government Hospital at K.A.P.V. Government Medical College in Tiruchi; and Coimbatore Medical College Hospital in Coimbatore.

The NHM communication also outlined the infrastructure requirements for the proposed centres. Following discussions on the space and facilities needed at each location, a standard design for the super speciality telemedicine hubs has been prepared.

The DME has been asked to direct the deans of the five medical college hospitals to identify approximately 1,700 square feet of existing built-up space at each institution for conversion into a telemedicine hub.

The proposed layout includes eight consultation pods and two private consultation pods intended for sensitive medical discussions.

The hospitals have also been asked to identify suitable spaces and prepare cost estimates through the Public Works Department's Buildings wing.

Tamil Nadu plans to expand the telemedicine network progressively over the next five years, increasing its reach from the initial 200 spokes to a total of 1,000 hubs and spokes.

The initiative represents a planned expansion of digital healthcare delivery in Tamil Nadu, with the hub-and-spoke model intended to connect patients in rural and remote communities with specialist services available at major government hospitals.

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