Source : The Hindu Date : 11.06.2009
Corporation’s health centre nears completion
Staff Reporter
| As part of the civic body’s plan to revamp healthcare facilities |
– Photo: P.Goutham 
Positive step: The construction of a health centre at Karungalpatti in Salem is nearing completion.
SALEM: The construction of a new building for the Salem Corporation’s health centre at Karungalpatti is nearing completion.
The civic body has taken up the works at Rs. 24.5 lakh under its comprehensive plan to revamp the urban health posts, maternity and child health centres, sub-centres, dispensaries and other health facilities. A sum of Rs. 12 lakh was allotted to create additional facilities including a compound wall.
The new building has labour room, out-patient room, drug store, waiting hall and residential quarters for health personnel. The centre caters to a population of about 15,000, a majority of them belong to the families living below the poverty line. Besides maternity care, childcare and immunisation programmes are also being carried out in the area from the centre. A large number of people visit the centre, as treatment at private clinics is costly.
The existing building of the centre has only one hall and it lacks equipment to deliver proper service to the residents.
Corporation officials said that they would equip the centre with modern facilities after completing the construction of the new building. New equipment and furniture would be provided to the centre. The Corporation was also planning to improve the facilities in health centres located in other parts in a phased manner. These centres did not witness any significant improvement even after several years of Salem city being given the Corporation status.