Trichy folk worried as nurses turn doctors at three health centres

TRICHY: As many as three urban primary health centres (UPHC) in the city which provide health care to people hailing from economically backward families are being run without permanent doctors. Pointing out that the UPHCs are a boon for families which cannot afford private healthcare, residents have demanded that Trichy corporation fill up the vacancies prevailing for more than three months and ensure better quality of treatment.

Ranked as the top performer city in the country in the health category by the ministry of housing and urban affairs (MoHUA) through Ease of Living Index 2018, Trichy has about 18 UPHCs and three siddha clinics covering a population of 9.2 lakh belonging to 65 wards. Many people have been visiting the well-equipped UPHCs here instead of thronging the Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Government Hospital (MGMGH) which is already saturated with patients from nearby districts.

Residents say the UPHCs in Thennur, Kamaraj Nagar (near airport) and Gandhipuram (Woraiyur) were being operated without permanent doctors for more than 3 months now. “Nurses and other paramedical staff are taking care of these three health centres in the absence of duty doctors. Though all facilities are available in the health centres, the absence of doctors has been causing much worries,” K Suresh, urban district secretary of CPI, told TOI.

A lot of pregnant women in nearby streets of the UPHCs keep a check on their health regularly at the three UPHCs. Residents say they are not very confident about the medicines being prescribed by the nurses in the absence of doctors. “We have identified a doctor currently in rural service who will join Gandhipuram UPHC in a week. Counselling process to appoint doctors to two other UPHCs is under way and the vacancies will be filled at the earliest,” Dr A Jaganathan, city health officer, told TOI. Health department officials with the civic body also added that adequate efforts would be made to maintain the quality of healthcare and help retain the city’s dominance in the health index in the ensuing national ranking of most liveable cities.