Boon to the poor: The Master Health Checkup at the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital offers basic and comprehensive packages and 12 other special packages.
| Photo Credit: M. Srinath
Over the past few years, opening up space for preventive health checks at the public sector health facilities has made these tests accessible and affordable to people. The Master Health Checkup Centre at Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (RGGGH), Tamil Nadu’s largest State-run hospital, is one such facility in Chennai. The centre, which offers basic to comprehensive packages and 12 other special packages, has been gaining patronage over the last few years. Though established in 2016 and brought to a halt during the COVID-19 pandemic, the facility resumed functioning after 2021, adding newer equipment and packages.
Ignoring signs and symptoms
“We tend to ignore the subtle signs and symptoms. Annual health checks help us to know where we stand. These preventive checks help in early detection of diseases and help patients take appropriate measures for treatment. Our Master Health Checkup facility offers tests at affordable rates,” RGGGH dean E. Theranirajan said.
The centre offers three packages costing ₹1,000 (Gold), ₹2,000 (Diamond), and ₹3,000 (Platinum). The first includes complete haemogram, blood sugar, renal function tests, lipid profiles, liver function test, an ECG, digital X-ray, USG abdomen and pap smear, while the Diamond adds on an echocardiogram, thyroid profile and HbA1c. The third includes ENT screening, eye screening, a digital mammogram, and bone profile. The newer packages offered by the facility include a diabetology package, haematology package, rheumatology package, cardiac profile, infertility profile, post-COVID package, cancer screening, and obesity screening.
Specialist opinion
While members of the public can get all investigations done at the facility, one of the advantages is getting a specialist opinion by the second day, Dr. Theranirajan said, adding, “RGGGH has 49 departments. This enables people to consult and get the opinion of the relevant specialists.”
On an average, the centre receives 60-80 persons a day. The number, at times, soars to over 100. The number includes people from other districts of Tamil Nadu, doctors said.
S. Padmakantha, in-charge medical officer, Master Health Checkup, said the centre was expanded and advanced equipment was brought in. “We have the treadmill test, pulmonary function test, advanced ultrasound and echocardiogram. We have six lab technicians, two staff nurses, two ECHO technicians, two radiographers and an in-house ophthalmologist, ENT and obstetrician-gynaecologist,” she explained.
People can walk in from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. for the preventive health checks. The facility is open from 7.30 a.m. to 2.30 p.m. from Monday to Saturday. It takes about two-and-a-half hours to three hours for the investigations to be completed for a person. Breakfast is also provided. “The results will be available the next day. Depending on the need for doctor’s consultation, the persons are taken to the respective departments in a battery car,” she said.
“All the equipment is calibrated and we run quality control and standardisation,” Dr. Padmakantha said.
The income generated from the centre is pooled back to meet the requirements of the centre, including equipment, consumables, and staff salaries, doctors said.
Published – March 04, 2025 10:28 pm IST