TRICHY: A portion of the compound wall of the primary health centre (PHC) at Top Sengattupatti in Pachamalai hills of the district, which collapsed around five years ago, is yet to be restored, exposing us to venomous snakes and flooding in the event of heavy rainfall, complain staff and patients alike.
Mentioning the matter having been raised with several government bodies in the past, they urge the authorities concerned to restore the wall at the earliest.
According to sources in Uppiliyapuram panchayat union, a 100-metre stretch of the boundary wall, originally constructed at Rs 16 lakh from the local body general fund in 2017-18, began deteriorating due to continuous monsoon run-off from the hillside.
"The section collapsed five years ago. Rainwater now enters the campus freely, aggravating an existing leak in the PHC's septic tank, which overflows into patient areas when rainfall persists for several days," said an official in the health and family welfare department.
With the absence of a compound wall, the official said, "Snakes are sighted at least once a week near the entrance or at the wards. Staff members have to call local residents to remove them. Patients, especially pregnant women staying in the birth waiting room, are extremely anxious."
The PHC serves as a key healthcare facility for tribal residents of nearly 40 hamlets and over 7,500 in the Salem district. Handling around 65 outpatients daily, it currently monitors 35 high-risk pregnant women, several of whom are either anaemic or underweight.
Meanwhile, another panchayat union official said the PHC has also requested a paver block pathway, cattle trap and a metal grill installed at ground level to prevent animal intrusion into the premises.
When contacted, Deputy Director of Health Services (DDHS) VC Hemachand Gandhi told the TNIE that he was unaware of the magnitude of the issue and assured that address it after inspection.