CHENNAI: For taking care of the 13,000 families of Perumbakkam resettled colony, there is only one primary healthcare centre (PHC). If that is not a tall order, reaching the place is a herculean task for some.
Anthoniammal, a resident of the colony, had to use all her might to push the wheelchair carrying her 63-year-old disabled husband across an uneven piece of rain-soaked land that leads to the ramp of the only PCH in the Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board’s (TNSCB) resettlement site.
The pavement that leads to the centre has at least three open manholes. “There is no way my husband can go by himself on the wheelchair,” said Anthoniammal. The centre is beside a large pool of stagnant water and is at the periphery of the resettlement site, at the end of a long stretch of unoccupied blocks.
The two doctors are present for only three hours every morning, say residents who were resettled to Perumbakkam from areas like Saidapet, Thousand Lights, Chintadripet and Arumbakkam, where they had access to healthcare.
“If we want to consult the doctor, we have to come between 9 am and 12 noon. Otherwise, other staff there ask for our symptoms and give us medicines,” said Nalini P, a resident. For blood tests, the residents are sent to the primary healthcare centre in Semmencherry, originally meant for the 6,000 families that reside in the TNSCB tenements in Semmencherry.
“Residents used to be sent here for blood tests. Now the centre at Perumbakkam has started some of the tests but we still do a majority of it. Even otherwise, a lot of residents from Perumbakkam visit our centre, which sometimes leads to shortage of medicines,” said a staff at the Semmencherry PHC.
For maternity care, the only government hospital available for the 20,000 families of Semmencherry and Perumbakkam, is the Medavakkam upgraded primary healthcare centre, around three km away. As an alternative, residents have to go to the Chromepet
Government hospital. “We took my daughter-in-law to Chromepet because they told us only that hospital had decent facilities for childbirth,” said Swarna P of Perumbakkam. Vanessa Peter, policy researcher, Information and Resource Centre for the Deprived. Urban Communities, said that the State government should reconvene the high level committee, officially formulated by a Government order in 2011, to constantly monitor and ensure quality access to civic and social infrastructure facilities in the sites.
The Housing and Urban Development Government Order stated that the high level committee should be formed under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary to Government with secretaries to Government as members, to resolve the issues pertaining to basic amenities and social infrastructure for those living in the TNSCB resettlement sites. “The delay in providing adequate healthcare, education and nutrition to the displaced families is denial of rights,” Swarna said.
When contacted, a TNSCB official said that the way to the primary healthcare centre in Perumbakkam would be cleared soon and the manholes would be closed. “There is also a proposal to upgrade the existing PHC at Perumbakkam,” the official said.