Water enters Tambaram Sanatorium, Chromepet GH

Doctors, nurses and even patients had to climb over sandbags placed to prevent flood water from entering the hospital campus. At the TB Hospital in Tambaram Sanatorium, the hall outside the pharmacy, where patients waited to collect medicines, was covered in four feet of water. “The outpatients therefore could not be issued medicines,” said a source from the hospital. 

Health Minister C Vijaya Baskar, on Friday, visited the Tambaram Government Hospital, and promised to allot Rs 27 lakh for the upgradation of the hospital. Stating that the patients in both hospitals suffered a lot, a source said, “Patients were immediately shifted from the ground floor to the first floor  at the Tambaram Government Hospital after water started to entere. A wall of around 10 feet was built with sacks of sand, yet water kept coming in constantly from the entrance.” 

During his visit to the Government Hospital in Tambaram, the Health Minister enquired about the precautionary measures in store, to prevent the same. “We had informed the PWD well in advance to see to it that such problems do not arise as this happens every year,” said a doctor from the hospital. 

Other Government Hospitals, including Stanley Medical College, were prepared to weather any crisis caused by the rains. “We were told that there may be a power cut and we were therefore alert. We had generators on the standby. Food and medicines were also kept ready. We had received instructions from the Health Secretary to be prepared for any crisis. We were asked to keep a supply of oxygen ready,” said Dr Ponnumbula Namasivayam, Dean, Stanley Hospital.