Tamil Nadu: Lack of staff, infra plague Primary Health Centres

Chennai: Primary Health Centres (PHCs), set up under Urban Primary Health Services (UPHS) with the total allocation of Rs 7,000 crore in the state, earn the wrath of the people for their poor infrastructure, staff crunch and lack of facilities such as maternity services and ambulances The state health department on Friday held a campaign on cleanliness, but cleanliness remains a mirage at the Primary Health Centres maintained in Chennai. A visit by Deccan Chronicle to check out the facilities at PHCs revealed poor administration and lethargy.

Heaps of garbage, cow dung welcome the patients at PHC on Five Furlong Road in Guindy. Without sufficient seating capacity, patients were seen lying on the floor at the reception desk. “Cows and stray dogs usually lie in the premises of the health centre.  Stray animals also enter the building as there is no security in place to keep the strangers away,” says Mohammed Azarudeen, a resident of Narasinga Colony in Guindy.

The PHC on Lake view Road in West Mambalam coming under zone 9, is also an eyesore. Ambulances were also out of the sight at the PHCs, with a big board on ambulance services at the entrance. When asked about the same, a staff seeking anonymity, admitted, “There is no ambulance service. If the need arises, we outsource it or autos are available outside the PHC”.

Of the five PHCs in the Alandur zone, only the PHC in the new street has a maternity ward. Patients visiting the PHCs located in Pazavanthangal, Mugalaivakkam, BV Nagar and Adambakkam are referred to the PHC in New Street. “We have to go to the PHC in New Street, even for regular checkups and medication, as the staff members say that the treatment and equipment are unavailable at other places,” says Shri Devi, a patient at a PHC in Alandur.

The new maternity ward at Tambaram PHC was inaugurated only a few months ago, but the patients complained of unavailability of staff, saying that they are generally referred to the Government Hospital for surgery and other needs, as the PHC does not have enough staff to operate. The health centre performed without a full-time physician and staff crunch has been a long-pending issue, said a nurse.

When contacted, corporation officials, they claimed of upgrading the PHCs and providing maternal and childcare services at all the centres. “We have the availability of services, but the staff is unavailable at times. The deployment of staff would be done after a regular check on PHC about the same and we will inform the state health department about it,” an official said.