Date:20/04/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/04/20/stories/2008042053500300.htm

Tamil Nadu

Trauma care centres to come up in 12 places in Tamil Nadu

Special Correspondent

WALAJAPET: The Union government has sanctioned 12 trauma care centres for Tamil Nadu to provide quick emergency treatment facilities to road accident victims in the State, according to Anbumani Ramadoss, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare.

Inaugurating the Rs.1.5-crore Trauma and Emergency Care Centre on the premises of the District Headquarters Hospital here on Saturday, Dr. Ramadoss said that the centre in Walajapet was the first among the 12 such trauma care centres which are being established in Tamil Nadu, and would become functional with the appointment of doctors and acquisition of equipment within 15 days.

Melur, Padmanabhapuram, Perambalur, Omalur, Namakkal, Cuddalore, Chengalpattu, Tenkasi and Tambaram are among the remaining 11 places where the trauma care centres are to be set up on the National Highways.

R. Velu, Union Minister of State for Railways said that Dr. Ramadoss had come forward to sanction a trauma care centre in Walajapet in response to his request to establish one on the Chennai-Bangalore National Highway to cater to the needs of accident victims.

Of the Rs.1.5 crore sanctioned for the centre, Rs.63 lakh had been spent on the construction of the building, while the remaining would be spent on equipment.V.K. Subburaj, Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, said that in addition to sanctioning 12 trauma care centres, the Union Health Minister had sanctioned Rs.9 crore to the Kilpauk Medical College Hospital, Rs.7 crore to the Government Vellore Medical College Hospital, Rs.17 crore to the Government Stanley Hospital and Rs.4 crore to the Government Hospital, Krishnagiri, for establishing trauma care centres.

Dharmendra Pratap Yadav, Collector of Vellore, said that the number of accidents on the Chennai-Bangalore National Highway had increased after the four-laning of the highway.

Hence the establishment of the trauma care centre in Walajapet would be very useful in providing immediate medical attention to accident victims. R. Gandhi, Ranipet MLA, G.K. Mani, Mettur MLA, T.A. Mohammed Saqhy, member of the Food Corporation of India Advisory Committee,and V. Nithyanandam, municipal chairman, Walajapet,spoke.