Collective releases Tamil Nadu Health Manifesto ahead of 2026 Assembly polls

Makkal Nalavazhvu Iyakkam (MNI), the Tamil Nadu chapter of the People’s Health Movement, released a Health Manifesto for the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly election, calling recognition of health a justiciable right and a core electoral priority.

The manifesto was released in the presence of representatives from over 32 member organisations, along with students and public health professionals. The document is the outcome of consultations held with community groups, civil society organisations, and health workers across the State, articulating people’s demands on strengthening the public health system.

Key demands include: immediate finalisation and notification of a comprehensive State Health Policy, enactment of Right to Health Care Act to guarantee free and universal access to services, and increased public spending on health with at least 8% of the Gross State Domestic Product allocated to the sector, prioritising primary healthcare.

The manifesto 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 safeguarding patients’ rights. It reiterates opposition to the expansion of insurance-based and public-private partnership models in public healthcare delivery.