Health Minister K.G. Arunraj and Navin Gunasekaran, longevity physician and head of radiology at Apollo Hospitals, Chennai, releasing the latter’s book in Chennai on Thursday.

| Photo Credit: R. RAGU

The Tamil Nadu government plans to expand its Master Health Check-up service to government hospitals in districts such as Madurai and Coimbatore, Health Minister K.G. Arunraj said on Thursday (July 16, 2026).Speaking at the launch of the book The 100-Year Blueprint, authored by Navin Gunasekaran, longevity physician and head of radiology at Apollo Hospitals, Chennai, Mr. Arunraj said Master Health Check-up at the Kalaignar Centenary Super Speciality Hospital in Chennai had been witnessing high demand and appointments were being booked well in advance. The State government will consider extending the facility to major government hospitals in other districts, he said, adding that the government’s primary focus would be to promote health rather than merely treating diseases.“All along, we have focused on recruiting doctors and getting the latest medical equipment to improve hospital infrastructure. But the vision of our Chief Minister is that the main focus of the Health Ministry should be to promote health. Treating disease comes next,” he said.Congratulating Dr. Gunasekaran on his first book, Mr. Arunraj said it was the “need of the hour”. The 100-Year Blueprint, published by Pan Macmillan India, presents an India-specific approach to healthy ageing by combining evidence-based guidance on nutrition, physical activity, sleep, stress management, and preventive health screening.Dr. Gunasekaran highlighted the growing burden of non-communicable diseases in India, citing the Indian Council of Medical Research’s 2024 estimates that one in four Indians is diabetic or prediabetic. In Tamil Nadu, he said, the prevalence of diabetes was nearly twice than that of the national average.“We are adding years to life, but are we adding life to those years?” Dr. Gunasekaran asked, adding that healthy ageing depended on simple lifestyle measures such as balanced nutrition, adequate sleep, stress management, and building muscle mass. Published - July 16, 2026 08:19 pm IST