RS Mangalam PHC to be rebuilt at Rs 1.7 crore, health dept tells Madras HC
The health department, in its status report, admitted that the PHC building is in poor condition.
Published: 16th July 2023 08:02 AM | Last Updated: 16th July 2023 08:02 AM | A+A A-
Madurai Bench of Madras High Court
MADURAI: The state health department in a status report submitted before the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court has stated that a work order has been issued to construct a new primary health centre and a block public health unit at a cost of Rs 1.7 crore at the existing site of RS Mangalam Upgraded Primary Health Centre in Ramanathapuram.
The status report was filed by the department in a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by I Kalanthar Ashik Ahamed over the dilapidated state of the present PHC building in RS Mangalam. Ahamed said in his petition that the roof and walls of the PHC have become damaged due to lack of proper maintenance and are on the verge of collapsing. This poses a huge risk to the staff and the public who visit the centre for treatment, he added and requested the court to direct the authorities to demolish the building and construct a new one.
The health department, in its status report, admitted that the PHC building is in poor condition. The building was constructed in 1989 and currently caters to nearly 30,755 residents in the area. At present, a major part of the PHC is in an unusable condition and steps are underway to demolish the building, the department said. Instead, a new PHC building worth Rs 1.2 crore and a block public health unit worth Rs 50 lakh would be built on the land and a work order has been issued for this purpose to the director of rural development and panchayat raj department to execute it, the status report said.
The new building would include an outpatient ward, a six-bedded inpatient ward, medical imaging facilities, an immunisation room, a pharmacy, an injection or dressing room, a minor operating theatre, a labour room complex, a bio-medical waste management room and a storage area, the department further said, adding that the funds for the works would be released soon and both the demolition and construction works would commence shortly.
