Urban News

The Hindu 14.08.2009

Tirupparankundram Primary Health Centre gets Rs.50 lakh

Special Correspondent

MADURAI: The State Government has sanctioned Rs.50 lakh to the Primary Health Centre (PHC) at Tirupparankundram near here for improving infrastructure there.

According to Health Department sources, an oral communication to this effect was conveyed to the Deputy Director of Health Services, A. Palanichamy, on Thursday.

The Director of Public Health, S. Elango, had asked the district health authorities to prepare a plan estimate/building blueprint and take steps for starting construction work immediately, official sources said.

Requirements of the Tirupparankundram PHC were explained to the Health Minister, M. R. K. Panneerselvam, during his visit to the city on Wednesday. Construction of a 20-bed maternity ward, fully-equipped operation theatre and a postnatal ward would come up in the PHC, Dr. Palanichamy said.

“There is an urgent need for new buildings because of the increase in delivery cases in the recent months. If there are no buildings and maternity facilities, users will be put to much inconvenience,” he said.

On Tuesday, the Joint Secretary of National Rural Health Mission, Amarjeet Sinha, also visited Tirupparankundram to assess the PHC’s performance and the requirements.

The Hindu 14.08.2009

Corporation conducts screening camps

Staff Reporter

CHENNAI: The Chennai Corporation on Thursday conducted screening camps in 30 slums in the city. A total of 7,000 patients were screened and 550 cases with ordinary fever but without sore throat or cough were identified. At the Communicable Diseases Hospital in Tondiarpet around 1,000 patients were screened.

Corporation Health Officer P. Kuganandam said the initiative was being held to identify suspected swine flu cases using World Health Organisation criteria of high fever, running nose, sneezing, coughing and sore throat for more than three days. In all these cases, only one person was suspected of having swine flu and his blood sample has been sent for testing. A continuous monitoring of cases with fever would be done.

The camps were conducted in Ezhil Nagar, K. K. Nagar, Ayodhya Kuppam, Saidapet and Periyar Nagar. Meanwhile, Mayor M. Subramanian said if parents of children studying in Corporation schools did not want their wards to participate in the Independence Day march past, they need not participate. “We will not be punishing the child or impose fine for her/his absence.” However, he said there was nothing to be afraid of about participating in the march past.