The New Indian Express: Chennai:
Wednesday, April 09, 2014.
It is the
only government health centre accessible to people in and around Sathyamoorthy
Nagar Main Road, Vyasarpadi. Hence, despite the lack of care and amenities,
they have no other choice but to seek medical assistance from the hospital in
times of need.
However, it
can’t be guaranteed that the patient would be able to meet the doctor since the
hospital, which is supposed to be open from 8 am to 3 pm, hardly functions for
four hours.
The
four-roomed PHC offers only outpatient services.
When this
reporter visited the PHC, patients were seen waiting impatiently in long
queues. They were relieved once the doctor arrived, apparently after several
hours. “If the doctor doesn’t come, then the compounder who usually gives us
the token to see the doctor will himself prescribe the medicines,” a patient
complained.
At the PHC, a
patient needs to produce a ration card prior to a consultation with the
visiting doctor. He or she is then issued a card which would contain the
details of ailment and the medicines prescribed during each visit. “But what
about people like us who don’t have ration cards,” asked Anjalai from the
neighbouring Ganesapuram.
Patients also
rued that though there was a toilet at the hospital, it remained locked ever
since it was built. Only the hospital authorities use it, they said.
“Forget the
toilet, even tests are not being done properly. The woman attender who sits in
that (test) room is very rude to the patients,” another patient said.
The
doctor who was posted at the centre
earlier would not even examine the patients by touching them, they said, adding
that there was some relief after a new doctor was posted about a month ago.
“She would
ask the patient to keep distance and just listen to our complaint. Once we
explain our problem, she would jot down medicines on a prescription and send us
away,” said Masilamani, who visits the hospital regularly.
The
officials, including the new doctor, on the other hand, had their complaints
against the local residents, whom they accused of misusing the premises.
“People climb
up to the roof of the hospital building and booze there. You can see all the
bottles. There is a playground behind the building and all the window panes are
broken. Even the iron lid on the sump has been stolen. But we can’t question
the local residents,” claimed the doctor
and other assistants at the hospital.
“In an
accident-prone area like Sathyamoorthy
Nagar Main Road, we have to rush the injured only to the Stanley Hospital,
which is quite far away. They do not even keep the PHC open during the time
they are supposed to,” said Appu, a resident of Mullai Nagar.
UNHEALTHY
SIGN
· A
resident of Kalyanapuram, filed an RTI last year on the expenses for
maintenance and development of the centre. The RTI revealed that no money was
spent on maintenance or development work at the centre for the year 2012-13
except for paying salaries to its five workers
· Residents
said the Primary Health Centre at Sathyamoorthy Nagar Main Road, which
functions under the Chennai Corporation, was hardly three to four years old.
They had to go to smaller hospitals in Kalyanapuram, earlier
· According
to the doctor at the PHC, at least 100 patients come everyday, mostly with
complaints of acute respiratory infections, hypertension and diabetes. Tests
for blood sugar level, cholesterol, malaria and tuberculosis are done here.
Patients who need specialty care are referred either to the Stanley Hospital or
the GGH
· The
PHC caters to thousands of people, mostly daily wage labourers, living in
surrounding areas including Sathyamoorthy Nagar, Nehru Nagar, JJ Nagar,
Samandhi Colony, MGR Nagar and Indira Nagar
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