Tamil Nadu Hospitals Drop Hindi Medicine Covers After Language Row Erupts
COIMBATORE/KARUR: Government hospitals in Coimbatore and Karur have stopped using medicine covers carrying instructions in Tamil, English and Hindi after the printing triggered a political controversy in Tamil Nadu. Health Minister KG Arunraj said the hospitals would discontinue the disputed covers, while officials said the printing was linked to existing supplies rather than a newly introduced language policy.
Hindi Imposition Row Erupts Over Medicine Covers
The controversy began after photographs of medicine covers used at the Karur Government Medical College Hospital surfaced on social media. The covers contained dosage-related instructions in three languages, including Hindi.
DMK leader and former Industries Minister T R B Rajaa criticised the use of Hindi and questioned whether a three-language policy was being introduced in government hospitals. Similar covers were subsequently reported at Coimbatore Medical College Hospital.
The dispute quickly became another flashpoint in Tamil Nadu’s long-running debate over the use of Hindi in public institutions.
Tamil Nadu Hospitals Halt Use Of Covers
The Tamil Nadu Hospitals involved moved to stop using the disputed covers after the issue gained attention.
At Karur, Dean Dr M Bharathi Mohan said the hospital normally receives plain brown medicine covers from Madurai Central Prison. During a shortage, the hospital placed an order with the Erode District Printing Industrial Cooperative Society in December 2025.
According to the hospital, staff had not instructed the printer to add language-specific dosage information. The Hindi wording was noticed only after the controversy emerged, after which staff were told to stop using the covers.
At Coimbatore Medical College Hospital, officials similarly replaced the trilingual covers. Pharmacists were instructed to use covers containing Tamil and English instead.
KG Arunraj Blames Earlier Procurement
Health Minister KG Arunraj said the current government had not introduced the disputed designs. He said the Karur covers were ordered during the previous DMK government’s tenure and that similar covers in Coimbatore had also been in use earlier.
The minister said the government remained committed to Tamil Nadu’s two-language approach and that the covers were withdrawn once the issue came to light.
The minister’s explanation contrasts with the political allegation of Hindi Imposition, which has become a recurring issue in Tamil Nadu’s language politics.
Why The Covers Became A Political Issue
The controversy comes against the backdrop of Tamil Nadu’s established preference for Tamil and English in state-level public administration and its opposition to the Centre’s three-language formula.
The practical issue is also being debated. Health officials and pharmacists have pointed out that multilingual dosage instructions can help patients who do not read Tamil, particularly migrant workers in Coimbatore. However, the political dispute concerns whether Hindi should appear on materials distributed through state-run institutions.
According to NDTV, the government has now stopped the use of the Hindi-containing covers in both locations.
For Tamil Nadu Hospitals, the immediate decision is clear: the disputed covers will no longer be distributed. The broader Hindi Imposition debate, however, is likely to continue as political parties argue over language policy and the role of Hindi in state institutions.
