Makkal Nalavazvu Eyakam (MNI), the Tamil Nadu chapter of the People’s Health Movement, has issued a health manifesto for the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly elections, describing recognition of health as a justiciable right and a core electoral priority.
The statement was issued in the presence of representatives of more than 32 member organizations, along with students and public health professionals. This document is the result of consultations conducted with community groups, civil society organizations and health workers across the state, outlining people’s demands on strengthening the public health system.
Key demands include: immediate completion and notification of a comprehensive state health policy, enactment of the Right to Health Act to ensure free and universal access to services, and increased public expenditure on health with at least 8% of the state’s GDP allocated to the sector, with priority given to primary health care.
The statement also calls for filling all vacant posts in government hospitals, ensuring uninterrupted availability of essential medicines, strengthening maternal and mental health services, regulating private healthcare institutions under existing legal frameworks, and protecting patients’ rights. It reiterates its opposition to expanding insurance-based and public-private partnership models in public health care delivery.
Published – 18 February 2026 at 04:15 PM IST
