COIMBATORE: Works to construct two shelters at the ESI Medical College Hospital in Coimbatore has commenced.
Officials will be constructing one shelter for the emergency ward and the other for the mortuary at a cost of Rs 25 lakh.
The Government Medical College and ESI hospital in Coimbatore was declared the first ESI Hospital in the country allowed to conduct autopsies. Hence, its forensic medicines department started conducting postmortems on July 22, 2022.
In every medico-legal case, several people including the family members of the deceased come to the hospital to receive the body after postmortem and the number of people coming to the hospital has also gradually increased. Therefore, there is a need for a sheltered waiting area with seats, toilets, and drinking water facilities.
A hospital staff, said, “Without these arrangements, people are forced to wait under the scorching sun or rain. Toilets are essential for people who are waiting for hours to get the bodies of their loved ones. If the hospital provides a supportive environment for grieving people, it would be a great relief for them. Hence, setting up a shelter with additional facilities has been a long pending demand.”
Dr M Manivannan, Resident Medical Officer (RMO) of the ESI hospital, said that the shelter was sanctioned under the MLA constituency development fund after multiple approaches at various places including government offices and private authorities.
He added, “The hospital got `25 lakh funding to construct two shelters one for the emergency ward and the other for the mortuary. The works have already commenced.”