CHENNAI – In a significant boost to maternal and neonatal healthcare, Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin inaugurated a state-of-the-art multi-story maternity and surgical block at the Institute of Social Obstetrics and Government Kasturba Gandhi Hospital for Women and Children in Chepak, Chennai, on Sunday.
This modern facility, constructed at a cost of Rs 32.32 crore and spanning 66,658 square feet across a ground floor and two upper floors, adds 100 new beds to the hospital’s capacity. Equipped with advanced medical infrastructure, it aims to enhance comprehensive care for women and newborns in the state capital.
The ground floor features a fully equipped operation theater, blood sample collection unit, and laboratory. The first and second floors house labor monitoring rooms, labor wards, post-natal care units, neonatal care sections, and isolation wards for infectious diseases.
Cutting-edge amenities include state-of-the-art operation theaters, laparoscopic minimally invasive surgical facilities, post-operative care units, continuous monitoring systems, and specialized anesthesia and pain management services.
Following the inauguration, Udhayanidhi Stalin inspected the advanced operation theater and maternity treatment units in the additional block. Officials briefed him on the upgraded infrastructure designed to improve patient safety, reduce complications, and enhance maternal and child health outcomes.
This expansion addresses the hospital’s heavy patient load. In 2025 alone, it recorded 170,731 outpatient visits and 132,886 inpatient admissions, underscoring its role as one of Tamil Nadu’s largest government maternity hospitals. That year, the facility handled 6,265 normal deliveries, 2,730 cesarean sections, 4,323 major surgeries, 8,418 minor surgeries, and 1,200 family welfare surgeries.
The event was attended by Health and Family Welfare Minister Ma. Subramaniam, MP Dayanidhi Maran, and Additional Chief Secretary for Health and Family Welfare P. Senthil Kumar. Health officials emphasized that the new block will significantly enhance the hospital’s capacity for high-quality maternal and neonatal care, strengthening Tamil Nadu’s public health system with accessible and affordable healthcare for women and children.