PUDUKKOTTAI: Without a dedicated bus service to Pudukkottai Medical College and General Hospital from the New Bus Stand, access to healthcare is a little tougher for patients from rural areas. Opened in 2017 at Mullur village on Thanjavur Road, the hospital is located seven kilometres from Pudukkottai New Bus Stand.
Up until the Covid-19 pandemic, there were direct bus services from the bus stand that helped patients gain easy access to the hospital. But with the lockdown, bus services came to a halt, one of the several bus routes that were canceled.
At present, at least 60% of driver and conductor posts in TNSTC are vacant, according to sources. "We've instructed Thanjavur-bound buses as well as others passing through the hospital to stop there. If there are a lot of passengers to the hospital, we can arrange for a bus temporarily. But we cannot operate dedicated services unless the vacancies are filled," said a TNSTC official.
On the other hand, hospital sources say the stoppage of bus services has caused a decline in the number of out-patients. A senior medical official said, "Since auto rickshaws charge `250 for a ride from town to the hospital, people rely mostly on buses. Private buses do stop at the request of passengers, but they are insufficient.
As a result, patients from places like Aranthangi and Mimisal miss out on their regular checkups fearing that they would lose a whole day waiting for a bus." D Narayanan of the CPM's district committee said, "We need at least 10 rides from the Pudukkottai town bus stand to the hospital before noon. The government should arrange for frequent bus services." When TNIE contacted a district-level transport official said all possibilities to address the needs of patients would be looked into.