Makkalai Thedi Maruthuvam, Tamil Nadu’s doorstep health scheme, is still running in 2026 under the new government. It appears among the ongoing programmes that continue in the 2026-27 revised budget estimates, according to a September 2026 review of the state’s schemes by the policy group IMPRI. We found no announcement that it has been renamed, merged or wound down.
That matters for Chennai households with an elderly parent on blood pressure tablets, a bedridden relative or someone on home dialysis. The scheme brings screening and medicines to the door, and you do not have to apply for it. Here is what it offers and how to get it.
What the scheme does
The scheme was launched on 5 August 2021 at Samanapalli village in Krishnagiri district (Deccan Herald). It was designed to take five kinds of care to people’s homes:
- screening for common non-communicable diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes and some cancers, for people over 18
- home delivery of medicines for hypertension and diabetes, aimed at people aged 45 and above and those with poor mobility
- palliative and geriatric care for home-bound patients
- physiotherapy at home
- supplies and guidance for patients on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (home dialysis)
The care is delivered by women health volunteers, village and urban health nurses, health inspectors, mid-level health providers and physiotherapists (Indian Journal of Medical Ethics). In tribal areas, ASHA workers form part of the team.
How big it has become
By December 2024 the scheme had reached about 2 crore people, double its original target (DT Next). The IMPRI review cites figures from the state’s 2026 interim budget showing over 3.5 crore households covered.
In Chennai specifically, about 25.92 lakh people in the Greater Chennai Corporation area had benefited by mid-2025. Of these, 13.29 lakh had been found with high blood pressure, 6.52 lakh with diabetes and 5.79 lakh with both (DT Next). In June 2025 the scheme was extended to workers in small establishments and offices, with Chennai’s target set at 6 lakh people in IT and commercial establishments.
How to access it in Chennai
There is no application form. In practice, people get on the scheme in one of three ways:
- Through a home visit. Health workers from your Corporation urban primary health centre (UPHC) visit households to screen residents. Tell them about anyone in the house with BP, diabetes, a long-term illness or limited mobility.
- Through your UPHC. If no one has visited, go to the nearest UPHC and ask to be enrolled for doorstep medicine delivery. If you are already being treated there for BP or diabetes, ask whether you can receive refills at home.
- At work. If you work in a factory, IT company or small office, ask HR whether a workplace screening camp has been held.
Keep the patient’s Aadhaar card handy. Researchers have noted that the scheme relies on Aadhaar-linked registration, which can leave out people without identity papers (IJME). If that applies to someone in your family, raise it with the UPHC medical officer.
For home-bound patients needing palliative care, physiotherapy or dialysis supplies, the UPHC medical officer is the person to ask; these services are prioritised for people who cannot easily travel.
Once a patient is on the scheme, a few things help it work well. Keep the tablet strips and the last prescription together so the visiting worker can see what has been taken. Get blood pressure and sugar rechecked when the worker offers, rather than relying on refills alone. If the deliveries stop, or the dose seems wrong after a hospital visit, go back to the UPHC rather than buying medicines privately. If you move house within Chennai, tell the new area’s UPHC so the visits can be transferred.
What is new around it
On 17 August 2026 the Health Minister announced a package of measures in the Assembly, including a Chief Minister’s Elderly Health Insurance Scheme for people aged 70 and above (Deccan Chronicle). None of the announcements replaced the doorstep scheme, and start dates for the new measures had not been published when we checked. If your household has an elderly member already getting medicines at home, nothing changes for now: keep the deliveries going and watch for the government orders on the new schemes.
The State Planning Commission keeps a page on Makkalai Thedi Maruthuvam among its evaluated schemes, which is worth a look if you want the official description of the scheme’s components.
Quick answers
Is Makkalai Thedi Maruthuvam still running in 2026?
Yes. It is listed among ongoing schemes in the 2026-27 revised budget estimates, and no closure or renaming has been announced.
Do I need to apply?
No. Health workers screen households, or you can ask at your nearest urban primary health centre.
Who gets medicines at home?
Mainly people aged 45 and above with BP or diabetes, and people with restricted mobility.
Is it free?
Yes. Screening and the medicines supplied under the scheme are free.
If you are unsure whether a home-delivered medicine is right for you, consult a doctor at the UPHC before changing any treatment.
Information checked against official sources on 18 October 2026. Fees, dates and rules can change; confirm on the linked official pages before acting.
Sources
- Makkalai Thedi Maruthuvam (State Planning Commission, Government of Tamil Nadu)
- Tamil Nadu’s 2026 schemes: department-wise updates and outcomes (IMPRI)
- TN launches scheme to take healthcare to people’s doorsteps (Deccan Herald)
- Makkalai Thedi Maruthuvam: an intersectionality-based analysis (Indian Journal of Medical Ethics)
- Makkalai Thedi Maruthuvam has benefited 2 crore people (DT Next)
- Health Department expands Makkalai Thedi Maruthuvam to workers of small establishments (DT Next)
- TN Govt announces elderly insurance, MediCity, Public Health Act (Deccan Chronicle)
