PHCs leave patients in the lurch

Till about three years ago, whenever anyone fell ill at Bhojaraja Nagar near Old Washermanpet, they had to only walk a few lanes to get to the nearest Corporation Health Centre adjacent to the Muthumariamman temple, for a check-up. But that’s not the case anymore. Now, they must cross the tracks that barricade the locality, housing more than 2,000 families, according to residents here. Vanitha Sekar, a resident, says, “The Corporation health centre was extremely useful. Doctors were available and people across age groups had access to healthcare in this area. We have people with all kinds of health ailments—high blood pressure, diabetes, etc. A number of senior citizens and all the others now have to cross the tracks to the other health centre in Ambedkar Nagar. The other options are private clinics or the Government Stanley Hospital, where we have to wait for a long time, after taking a token.” 

The facility was established at Rs 14 lakh, according to a pamphlet distributed to residents when the centre was inaugurated. “The building now houses a non functioning gym and is a hotbed for alcohol and drug addicts,” says Velmurugan, another resident. 

If one braves the unmanned tracks as well, there is very little help. With the doctor on leave and an assistant catering to the needs of the high volume of patients, the facilities are inadequate, says a resident on condition of anonymity. “This health centre has to be expanded, as now residents in Bhojaraja Nagar are also dependent on it. People from Stanley Nagar also come here for the check-up, apart from those in Korrukupet, and Meenambal Nagar,” he says. 

Similarly, the health centre in Mylapore’s Sanjeevi Street that is accessed by almost 35,000 slum dwellers from Nochikuppam and Dr Ambedkar bridge, it is a lab technician and doctor’s assistant who have been prescribing medicines to the patients. K Barathi, president, South India Fishermen Welfare Association, says, “This has been functioning since 2010, but till date we haven’t seen a doctor visiting the centre. The centre has facilities to conduct blood tests here, and close to 200-300 people visit the place every day. Recently, we informed the Corporation official who visited the place about it and we were assured that steps would be taken. But we also learnt from sources they are planning to shut down the facility.” 

It is no different from the geriatric  care health centre at Choolai, where the only staff present confidently informs on a Monday, the doctor will be back only on Thursday, while she admits that there is a steady flow of outpatients all through the week. 

At the other end of the city, ECR, where the Corporation claims to have a robust set-up, it is a similar scene. “Though we get treatment and medicines, the diagnosis is limited to just asking us about the problems. The doctors here don’t even touch us to feel the temperature,” says Shankar, who was there for his son’s check-up. Off Old Mahabalipuram Road, residents of Kannagi Nagar and Ezhil Nagar have no other choice but to go all the way to GOSHA Hospital in Triplicane and Royapettah Government Hospital for their health complaints. Stephen Raj of Kannagi Nagar Podhunala Sangam, says, “There is a counselling centre, but there is a doctor available only for a few hours. We have to go all the way to Thoraipakkam health centre, where the doctor has been absent for over a month now.” 

A contrasting picture 

According to sources from the Greater Chennai Corporation, there are close to 140 urban primary health centres in the city and the number includes the ones in the extended zones. 

The facilities have received a boost through the National Urban Health Mission with an aim to strengthen access to healthcare, basically for the underprivileged sections. The PHC is expected to cater to maternity care, children, immunisation, disease prevention and control, according to officials. 

While the ones catering to the lower income groups seem to be languishing due to lack of doctors, the ones in the heart of the city have received a thumbs up from the locals. A visitor at the T Nagar health centre on Siva gnanam Street says, “There are not less than 80 people visiting the centre, every day, but the doctors cope with the crowd and they have enough stock of medicines.”  Residents of Lakshmi Nagar in Nanganallur, hail the efforts of their councillor Hema Bharni Prasad for the efficient functioning of centres in both Adambakkam and Moovarasampetai. 

However, Dr S Elango, former, Director, Public Health and president, Indian Public Health Association, Tamil Nadu, says that while the National Health Mission is looking at replicating centres like those in rural areas, the implementation has been yielding inequitable results. 

“This is because of the lack of doctors who want to serve wholeheartedly at the centres. They want to be posted in urban centres because it is lucrative, but they devote very little time. We have suggested to officials to take steps to stop this from happening and make doctors posted at these centres to completely concentrate on their practise here,” he points out. 

Strengthening peripheral hospitals 

Admitting that the access to healthcare has been lopsided in the city, Director of Public Health K. Kolandaisamy, says that efforts are being made to strengthen the peripheral hospitals to cater to the gap in healthcare facilities. He says, “The Tondiarpet Communicable Diseases Hospital is a big facility, but we don’t see too many admissions for infections like before. This can be put to use for meeting the healthcare requirements for a section of people.” 

He also admits that the extended areas in the city have been having inadequate facilities. “But that is being bridged through more centres that have been coming up,” he says.