MADURAI: Patients and medical staff at the Government Rajaji Hospital (GRH) in Madurai have raised serious concerns over the partial blockage and damage to pathways for several wards due to the ongoing construction work on drainage channels within the institution. They claimed that the work has caused them acute inconvenience, especially to patients on wheelchairs and stretchers being taken to different wards for treatment.
Ragunathan, relative of a patient, told TNIE, “My brother, admitted for a lung infection, was taken on a wheelchair to the laboratory situated in the older buildings of the facility, where the pathway was littered with stones and broken bricks. The aides had a hard time navigating and pushing the wheelchair through the uneven surface.”
Several medical staff members of the institution pointed out that the work has restricted the room for movement along the pathways, which are already narrow. One of the staff members said, “The wards on the GRH premises are separated by roughly 30-foot pathways. During the drainage work, portions of the pathway are excavated, leaving limited room for movement, which hinders both patients and doctors. Additionally, numerous vehicles are parked near the dean’s office and the Psychiatric Department, further exacerbating the issue,” adding that the soil dumped during the work causes significant dust problems for patients.
GRH Dean Dr L Arul Sundaresh Kumar told TNIE that the hospital administration was aware of the challenges. He said, “The construction work is aimed at linking the drainage system from the old building to the Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) near the JICA Block. Although the work commenced two weeks ago, unexpected rainfall caused interruptions, delaying progress and resulting in inconvenience for the patients. I assure that the work will be completed in two weeks, after which paver blocks will be laid in the affected areas.”