MADURAI: Even two weeks after its inauguration on October 6, the newly established Comprehensive Emergency Care Unit at the Melur Government Hospital (GH) is yet to admit or treat patients. Officials attribute the delay to the pending fumigation process, assuring that the facility will become operational in a few days.
The facility was inaugurated by Chief Minister M K Stalin via video conferencing earlier this month. Built at a cost of Rs 9.20 crore, the emergency care unit includes an operation theatre, pre- and post-operative wards with a total capacity of 60 beds. However, the wards have remained unused for over 15 days.
Ragukulan, a resident of Melur, expressed frustration over the delay, stating that the new facility was long-awaited.
“The old emergency unit had limited space, leading to a long-standing demand for a new facility. After many years, a new unit was finally constructed. However, it has remained unused for the last 15 days, causing significant frustration among the locals.”
Another villager, Sevagan, said, “The community felt happy when the new facility turned out to be bigger and more spacious. During its inauguration, we got the opportunity to walk through the facility, and the staff explained that the unit was fully functional. The old emergency ward had only one theatre and two small rooms. However, we are feeling disappointed as these wards have not been put to use yet.”
A senior official from the Melur GH explained that the lack of admission is primarily due to the delay in fumigation. She said, “The initial step involves collecting swab samples to check for potential microbial presence in the operation theatres. Following this, the fumigation process will begin. These measures are specifically focused on the pre- and post-operative wards. The entire procedure will be carried out on Monday with the assistance of staff from the Government Rajaji Hospital, Madurai. At present, three emergency cases are awaiting access to the new operation theatres.”