KRISHNAGIRI: An Urban Health and Wellness Centre at Ganapathi Nagar in Hosur City Municipal Corporation (HCMC) was allegedly closed ten minutes before the actual time on Saturday night, due to which a man injured in a dog bite was was forced to rush to a private hospital instead.
The injured was Pankaj C Mutalik (26), a native of Karnataka working in a private company who resided near Ganapathi Nagar. On Saturday around 7.20 pm, a stray bit his hand, following which his friends rushed him to Urban and Health Wellness Centre at Ganapathi Nagar, but the centre was closed. Mutalik then went to a private hospital near their area and he paid around Rs 750 for treatment including for Anti- Rabies Vaccine.
He told TNIE that, "This money would have lasted me three days, if the centre was open I could've saved it for my family instead as every rupee is important to me."
His friend S Raja (36) who accompanied with Mutalik to centre said, "Stray dog issues already exist in this area and on top of it we aren't able to resort to government healthcare centres due to the negligence of their staff. Thus Hosur City Municipal Corporation should conduct intensive animal birth control measures in all wards and ensure health staff are available during working hours."
There are eight Urban and Health Wellness Centres under the HCMC that work from 8 am to 12 pm and 4 pm to 8 pm. When TNIE visited the centre, it was closed before 8 pm. Similarly, the Krishnagiri District Health Officer Dr KM Ajitha said, "The medical officer Dr Mukil Prem left the centre around 7.40 pm due to an emergency but since he did not register his biometrics before leaving, a half-day pay cut will be initiated. Also ABC activity was carried out across all 45 wards, in the past few weeks along with anti-rabies drives."