TIRUCHY: A total of 25 health and wellness (H&W) centres, which serve as auxiliary units of urban primary health centres (UPHC) albeit with space also for wellness activities like yoga, were inaugurated in the city earlier this month. Eleven other H&W centres in the city, which were commissioned and completed in construction at the same time as the 25 aforementioned healthcare units, however, are yet to be opened owing to the non-allotment of medical officers and supporting staff, sources said.
With the H&W centres having been completed in construction in December last year, city residents urge the authorities concerned for opening the remaining units at the earliest. Following the state health department in April this year allotting 25 doctors for the city’s H&W centres, Chief Minister MK Stalin on June 6 virtually inaugurated the 25 healthcare units that offer medical care and promote healthy lifestyle. "H&W centres ensure the availability of affordable healthcare in most areas in the city. Therefore, if the government speeds up the allotment of doctors to the remaining centres it would be of great help for many," said T Kamaraj, a resident of Babu Chetty Street.
While a health official, pointing to the 18 urban primary health centres (UPHCs) and 25 H&W centres operational in the city, reasoned that sufficient staff is hence available to handle medical emergencies like Covid-19, residents disagreed that a delay in allotment of doctors and supporting staff to healthcare units would not cause inconvenience. "We cannot say when we would again face a pandemic-like situation. It is therefore better to keep our system ready with additional healthcare staff and infrastructure in the event of medical emergencies," said N Gopi, a senior citizen and resident of Woraiyur.
Meanwhile, senior health officials expect doctor allotment without much delay. "We got about 25 doctors in the first allotment. In the second allotment, sources said that the government would recruit more than 100 doctors. These doctors would be allotted to H&W centres of various cities and we would get 11 doctors in the allotment. The allotment is likely to happen this year itself," a senior health official said.