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Tamil Nadu
A PHC waiting for its own building
DEPLORABLE: A patient being treated at a cramped PHC at Pichanoor in Vellore district.
TIRUPATTUR: The proposal to construct a building for the Pichanoor Primary Health Centre (PHC) near Tirupattur is yet to materialise. People from 10 surrounding villages, who come for treatment, suffer as the facility has been functioning from a cramped panchayat office building since June 2000.
Indira Gandhi, Medical Officer, Pichanoor PHC, said that the centre handled 160 to 200 patients every day. There were not enough rooms to conduct tests and stock the medicines. There were a total of 13 staff members, including a medical officer, to handle the patients coming from Kurumbaberi, Thedavalli, Krishnapuram, Chinnasamudiram, Perumalpattu, Jadainoor, Jalagamparai, Kavapatri and Kudapattu.
The staff at the PHC had put up a thatched shed at the entrance to administer drips to the patients. The patients would lie down on a wooden bench and take drips. The centre was equipped to handle only minor ailments. Delivery cases were referred to the PHC subcentre at Kurumbaberi.
Dr. Gandhi said the centre was equipped to handle fever and diarrhoea-related cases. Similarly, pre-natal and pos-natal check-up was also done there. In the case of serious injuries, the PHC could provide only first aid and refer the cases to the Tirupattur Government Hospital.
The PHC subcentre at Kurumbaberi was well equipped to handle pregnancy-related cases and bone dislocation cases. Dr. Gandhi said that one of the reasons for referring such cases to PHC sub centre was that transport facilities were available to Kurumbaberi. The patients could avoid going to Tirupattur Government Hospital, which was far away from Pichanoor.
The Pichanoor PHC functioned from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. There was a health subcentre near the PHC. Accommodation had been provided there to a nurse so that emergency cases could be attended and referred to the Tirupattur hospital. The nurse would be available round the clock. However, the building that housed the subcentre was in need of repair. Representation in this regard had already been given through the Deputy Director (Health) at Tirupattur.
The PHC conducted immunisation programme every Wednesday, Dr. Gandhi said. However, the patients coming for the check-up faced a lot of difficulty owing to the lack of bus services. A. Annadurai, chairman, Tirupattur Panchayat Union, told The Hindu that a piece of land near the panchayat office had been identified for the construction of the new building for the PHC.
It had been transferred to the Deputy Director (Health) Tirupattur. The file, which was stated to be at the Tirupattur tahsildar office, had been sent to the District Revenue Officer’s office in Vellore for action. He expressed the hope that the work would begin soon.
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