MADURAI: With no doctor appointed since 2019, workers complain that the dispensary located on the Tangedco head office campus at K Pudur is being managed by a nurse and pharmacist, depriving them of proper medical care.
A senior Tangedco staff said the dispensary was established in 2001 after employees sought medical care for common and basic health issues.
“As part of a state-wide initiative, Tangedco directly recruited doctors, nurses and pharmacists and deployed them in all zonal offices through Tamil Nadu. But, for the past six years, the dispensary in Madurai has been functioning without a doctor,” the staff said.
There are more than 600 staff, including senior engineers, vigilance staff, working in Madurai district. Several employees including bill assessors, gang men, line man, line inspector, helpers depend on the dispensary for free supply of medicines,” the staff said.
“In the Chennai office, specialists are available. But here. the facility is handled by a nurse and pharmacist, due to which staff are forced to visit other hospitals,” he said.
CITU-TANGEDCO employees Union (Madurai) secretary P Arivazhagan said,”We are upset by the lack of doctors in the dispensary. Despite raising the need to fill the vacancy, no action has been taken for the past few years. Several staff are avoiding the facility and the dispensary has almost been completely forgotten.”
A top official from Tangedco (Madurai Division) said,”There are two vacanciesEB worker ends life over loan debt; relatives protest in dispensary. Due to technical issues, the positions have not been filled yet. We have sent a proposal to the head office in Chennai, seeking appointment of two doctors on temporary basis with nominal pay of Rs 2,500 per day. We hope it will be accepted.”