PRESS RELEASE Hon'ble Minister for Health, Medical Education and Family Welfare, Dr. Ko.Ka. Arunraj launched the "Nalam AI" chatbot at Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital to help the public access healthcare services easily, and inaugurated the upgraded Intensive Care Unit as well as modern medical equipment provided under the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds of various industrial establishments. Hon'ble Minister for Health, Medical Education and Family Welfare Dr. Ko.Ka. Arunraj today (08.07.2026), at an event held at Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital, launched the "Nalam AI" WhatsApp chatbot to help the public easily access healthcare services. Following this, the Hon'ble Minister inaugurated the upgraded Intensive Care Unit (E-ICU), set up at a cost of Rs. 63.48 lakh under the Chief Minister's Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme through the Tamil Nadu Health Systems Project. He also inaugurated modern medical equipment worth Rs. 15.05 crore provided under the CSR funds of private companies Foxconn, Hyundai and Redington. The Minister subsequently launched the "My Hospital" QR Code application, enabling the public to share information and complaints regarding the maintenance of patient toilets at Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital. Nalam AI Application To enable the public to easily access healthcare information and services, and to further strengthen digital healthcare delivery, the "Nalam AI" WhatsApp chatbot was launched today and will be implemented in 22 districts of Tamil Nadu. Members of the public can access the service in Tamil and English by saving the number 96192 22999 in their WhatsApp contacts and sending the message "Hi". Through this conversational service, the public can register themselves, view doctors' prescriptions, access laboratory test reports, and locate nearby government hospitals and health facilities, among various other services, with ease. These services will be implemented in the first phase across 22 districts, and subsequently extended in a phased manner to the remaining 16 districts. As a first step, an outpatient pre-registration service through "Nalam AI" has been introduced in the Pulmonology Department of Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital, Chennai. Based on the time slots allotted by the hospital, the public can pre-book their visit through "Nalam AI". This initiative will reduce waiting times for patients and make healthcare services simpler and faster. The scheme will be progressively extended to all departments of Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital and subsequently to other government hospitals. Upgraded Intensive Care Unit Ward-111, located on the first floor of Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital, has been upgraded into a Level-3 intensive and life-saving care unit at a cost of Rs. 63.48 lakh under the Chief Minister's Comprehensive Health Insurance Scheme through the Tamil Nadu Health Systems Project. This unit has been equipped with 20 beds. My Hospital Application The "My Hospital" application has been specially designed to enable patients and members of the public who use the toilets at Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital to report whether the facilities are being maintained properly, and to submit feedback and complaints. QR codes for this application have been displayed at toilet locations within the hospital premises. The public can scan the QR code to lodge complaints or share their feedback. If a user reports any maintenance deficiency, the information is instantly relayed to the Dean of the Medical College through the app, enabling immediate corrective action at the relevant location. Modern Medical Equipment Provided under Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Funds Foxconn India Private Limited provided an ERCP medical device worth Rs. 5,52,90,838 for the surgical theatre of the Gastroenterology Department at Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital, under its CSR project fund. This state-of-the-art equipment enables camera-guided surgical procedures on the ducts of the liver, gall bladder and pancreas with ease. Additionally, on behalf of Foxconn, 20 state-of-the-art anaesthesia delivery machines worth Rs. 6,09,00,000 were provided to the Anaesthesiology Department of Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital to facilitate surgeries. On behalf of Hyundai Motor India Private Limited, the General Surgery Department at Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital has been upgraded into a Level-3 intensive medical care unit at a cost of Rs. 3,16,86,315. On behalf of Redington India Private Limited, a Choledochoscope worth Rs. 24,74,895 was provided for the treatment of common bile duct conditions. The event was attended by senior government officials including Health and Family Welfare Department Secretary Dr. Tharesh Ahmed, IAS, Director of Medical Education Dr. R. Sugandhi Rajkumari, Dean of Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital and Government Medical College Dr. Santharam, and Resident Medical Officer Dr. Azhagazhi, among others. Issued by: Director, Directorate of Information and Public Relations, Chennai-9