Chennai’s primary healthcare network in tatters

Chennai: Crippled by poor funding and a shortage of medical professionals, the Greater Chennai Corporation’s primary healthcare network is in sickbed for far too long. The 140 urban public health centres (UPHCs) get budgetary support of ₹5 crore per annum, while the 16 mini ‘multi-specialty’ entities – the urban community health centres (UCHCs) – get ₹2.9 crore to manage their 30 to 100 beds through the year. A princely sum of ₹8 crore is allocated for medicine procurement. There are urban health and wellness centres, which are one-doctor ancillary clinics across the city. They too are erratic, as they exist on a one-time budget of ₹25 lakh per centre that’s been exhausted.

Of course, the ‘building maintenance fund’ of ₹104 crore is often diverted to meet specific demands. But this is a common fund meant for all GCC buildings, including schools, zonal and regional offices and hospitals.
During a field visit, TOI found several UPHCs had just one multi-purpose hall which was hardly enough for the medics, patients, equipment and even ice boxes.

At the UPHC at Tiruvottiyur’s Kaladipet that’s barely 800sqft, injections are given to kids in a room with 20-odd patients milling around. At the entrance, another 50 patients can be seen waiting without chairs. There is no changing room for patients, and nurses use an induction stove to cook inside the staff room.

While the UPHC at KK Nagar had a doctor twice a week, Mugalivakkam PHC halted pregnancy delivery services in 2017 due to lack of doctors and funds. “We saw 30 pregnancies every month until 2017 but after that, doctors retired and support staff left. So we stopped doing deliveries. Mothers now have to travel to Alandur for delivery,” said B Shanthi, a doctor at Mugalivakkam UPHC.

Some staff at UPHCs in Old Washermenpet and Tondiarpet complain of inadequate scanning machines and deteriorating building quality. In Manali, residents say the doctors leave before 4 pm.

Dr Shanthi AR, secretary, Doctor Association for Social Equality (DASE), said a doctor should ideally see 60 outpatients per day. “They should not be forced to see 200 patients a day. New posts of doctors and nurses must be created proportionally based on the number of patients. We need three doctors at UPHC to run it 24/7,” she said.

When contacted, city health officer Dr M Jagadeesan told TOI that they were identifying vacancies and deputing doctors. “Basic development works in UPHCs are being carried out with GCC funds and NHM grants,” said Dr Jagadeesan.