KG Arunraj, the Tamil Nadu Health Minister, today announced the immediate stoppage of medicine covers bearing Hindi instructions in government hospitals in the industrial hubs of Coimbatore and Karur. He cited the covers as a remnant of the former DMK regime, claiming they were introduced during the previous administration and that the current TVK government had merely continued to use the existing templates.
A deeper look shows that in December 2025, a shortage of covers prompted an emergency order to the Erode District Printing Industrial Cooperative Society for 4 lakh units. Those covers entered circulation in January 2026, during the DMK era, and carried instructions in Tamil, English and Hindi. The move was seen by critics as a political statement rather than a medical necessity.
T R B Rajaa, a former DMK Industries Minister, had sparked the controversy by posting photographs of the covers on X, accusing the state of implementing a "three‑language policy" in hospitals. “It appears that the three‑language policy has been implemented in hospitals!”, he wrote, pointing to the Hindi text as evidence.
The Tamil Nadu government’s response was swift. Arunraj said the covers would be phased out immediately and that Karur would resume the earlier practice of using covers with details printed only in Tamil, while Coimbatore would adopt covers featuring instructions in Tamil and English. He added that the state would not compromise on the two‑language policy.
The dispute is not just about bureaucracy; it touches the daily lives of patients. A migrant worker from Uttar Pradesh, who works in a Coimbatore textile mill, told reporters he struggled to understand the Hindi instructions, which left him uncertain about medication timing. His experience echoes the concerns of thousands of patients across Tamil Nadu’s hospitals.
The debate follows a separate controversy over Hindi destination names on a state highway near Sathankulam, where former Chief Minister MK Stalin accused the ruling TVK of Hindi imposition. The government had already ordered the removal of those names and suspended two officials, signalling its stance on the state's linguistic identity.
Looking ahead, the Tamil Nadu Health Ministry plans to audit all hospital supplies to ensure compliance with the two‑language policy. The next week, a public consultation will be held in both districts to gather feedback from patients and healthcare workers.